Yes, it's true that Corel Draw sucks at SVG. The SVG files it produces are not very valid, and it does not support the basic filters that the SVG standard offers (like for example the amazing Blur effect).
I use Inkscape a lot, and when it comes to SVG, Inkscape is the best instrument you can probably find today. Its support of the SVG specification is the most complete (it is not 100% yet, but it's develloping really fast) but it produces valid SVG.
So the only solution I can propose right now is simply to create the SVG file in Inkscape. If you want to import something form Corel into Inkscape, I believe the best way is to use PDF as the intermediary format. Inkscape has a robust PDF import and Corel's PDF export is very good too. Don't use the Corel SVG export. it is simply too bad...
Once you have imported the PDF into Inkscape, you'll certainly have to recreate things like gradients and/or transparency though...
BTW, take a look at www.openclipart.org, it is a repository of Public Domain (so completely free) SVG clipart. The majority ot them are created in Inkscape, some of them are quite professional.
:)