Thursday, April 29, 2010

Australia (ALP) - Leading the World in Spin

I have just heard this and I think it's ridiculous. A woman phoned in and said that the labelling on cigarettes changed so that they didn't need to state the tar and nicotine content of the cigarettes. This is how I gave up smoking in 1990 - July 1990 to be exact. I'd tried from January 1989, and the only way was for me to reduce the tar/nicotine content of the cigarettes, and the number I smoked and the places I'd allow myself to smoke, and then I eventually stopped smoking.

Now they think no-name smoke packets will deter smokers, and think that they will lead the world... hmm, like they led the world in the ETS? CPRS? Yeah. ALP Federal Government of Australia, leading the world in Spin and Stupid. Hurrah!

If they want to stop people smoking why don't they ban it? Make it illegal? Yeah, one of their most profitable income streams would be choked.

How can the government demand this?

There are three items at AM on this plan... here's the link to the main page.

LIV CASBEN: He says it's the most significant attempt to try and dissuade smokers from taking up the habit since tobacco advertising was banned.

SIMON CHAPMAN: This will be a very, very important signal to other governments that this is the way ahead and I would expect many other governments to follow very quickly. It will cause a domino effect around the world within five years so it will be the norm.
More here.

Update:
The tax on cigarettes is going up 25% tonight (ie a pack of smokes will go up $2-3). This should raise about $5B for the government... which is timely as it just so happens that this is the amount which Kevin has promised away with his health reform...

5 comments:

stackja1945 said...

Kae, Simple Simon, follows the piper Kev. All smoke and mirrors. ABC has forgotten ETS and batts you notice.

Merilyn said...

.....and Rudd bought that forward to, after hearing that people were out buying up smokes, before the price rise, now if that is not spite I don't know what is.

Pedro the Ignorant said...

Plain and simple theft, cloaked in faux righteousness.

Smokers are outcasts and lepers and the government can thieve from them with impunity.

No doubt the ALP pollsters have done the numbers and decided they can do without the 3 million or so smokers who vote. Abbott can't say or do anything without looking like Doctor Death giving the green light to little kiddies to smoke filthy poison ciggies.

Another few billion $$ in the bank. Thanks suckers.

bingbing said...

Another grand brainfart from Australia's Prime Nanny.

wayne Job Broadford Victoria said...

I'm a bit pissed off, I have smoked for 55 years and never been sick or cost our guvmint a penny. Tax's I have paid, now $30 dollars for 50 gram's of tobacco.
My uncle at age 93 needed an operation on his leg, but he had to give up smoking or his doctor would not operate, I'm pissed off. Another uncle who was a boss at the woomera rocket range smoked and drank, at 96 he drove Melbourne to Sydney to visit friends. Another uncle died tragically at age 94 after a life of similar debauchery, he was a spitfire pilot that got shot down three times obviously the ciggies killed him. I'm totally pissed off, I travel to Thailand often and 50 gram's of tobacco is about $1.50. Talk about pissed off.How much tax and PC crap do we have to endure before we revolt.