Interesting talking point about Tobacco companies and election advertising

The ALP is whinging about the tobacco companies putting up anti-government advertisements... they are whining that the Tobacco companies are being used by the coalition to spruik the coalition cause. They are complaining that this isn't fair... that the coalition shouldn't be supported by the tobacco companies...

I don't hear a peep about the anti-coalition advertisements bombarding us in our loungerooms in almost every advertisement break which are paid for by the unions, and which are directly supported by the ALP.

Read about it here.

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...