Upping the tax on alcohol!!

[LaughingKookaburra]

The government can not be serious when they want to up the taxes on RTD's,Beer and Wine by 300%. An average 6 pack of RTD's could go up as much as $8 per 6 pack. This is a joke, why the hell should we pay such a ridiculous amount to fight binge drinking teens.....I hope a percentage of that money goes towards putting extra police on the streets, extra doctors and nurses on weekends evenings to cope with alcohol related injuries and extra activities for youths to do on weekends instead of drinking. Will the grape growers see any extra from the taxes?? How much is the Wine industry going to struggle?? Will inflation rise because of the extra spending?? Many questions to be answered......

[mick]

I am in the fortunate position that I will continue to be able to afford a drink. To all the people who voted for this beige wowser Rudd, Ha Ha, we'll see what you think of him in two years, this is only the beginning of the high taxing Labor tradition, they do it every time. The socialist do-gooders will punish hard working Australians and reward the vocal special interest groups (wankers in the arts and similar).

[smac]

It won't see an end to my drinking, but it would certainly curtail it. What were the voters thinking, electing a bloke who apologised for the only time he got pi55ed?

[Interceptor]

Typical reaction by those in charge, punish the majority due to the actions of a few.

It won't have much effect, except that people will just spend a greater percentage of their disposable income on booze.

The tax on cigarettes has gone up and up and yet youngsters still take it up every year by the thousands.
Peer pressure (and addiction) is a strong force.

[LaughingKookaburra]

Typical reaction by those in charge, punish the majority due to the actions of a few.

It won't have much effect, except that people will just spend a greater percentage of their disposable income on booze.

The tax on cigarettes has gone up and up and yet youngsters still take it up every year by the thousands.
Peer pressure (and addiction) is a strong force.

Is it a cover up to get more money for the promises they delivered last election. First it was cutting funding to the disabled and the elderly now this comes out of the blue..........

[therisingblues]

Glad I am not in Oz to cope with this 5hit!
I don't think this is right.

[Psyber]

Many years ago a member of the ALP I knew suggested - I assumed jokingly - the idea that taxation could be abolished if there were a government run Heroin vending machine alongside the government run Pokie on every major street corner.

It might work?

[Sojourner]

Its an interesting plan but I dont see that it is going to do alot to curb binge drinking, I dont even know if it is still on the market, yet my weapon of choice when I was in that age bracket was "Strongbow White" for the reason that it was smooth drinking and you got smashed on it quite rapidly, I dont recall price being a factor!

It seems to me that people will just switch to something else, cheap vodka and orange juice would likely work just as well....

What has to happen and it is what both sides of government seem to be trying to do is to change the culture of drinking in Australia, so that if a mate comes around for a BBQ or whatever and gets over the limit that your reaction as a true mate is to take his keys away and organise him / her a lift home, a cab, or a sofa bed for the night. Rather than letting them get into the car and drive home.

The other culture change is to make people not want to get smashed in the first place and the problem there is that there are so many different reasons why people do that from thrill seeking to acute depression. So part of the answer is resources in information and funding groups like Lifeline etc to try and stop people from putting themselves in that situation in the first place.

Clearly more needs to be done, yet my concern with tax increasing is will we see a sitatution like the Petrol Tax where only a tiny percentage is returned to roads and the rest just going into general revenue?

[Q.]

The tax will only be on RTDs. There has been misreporting in the media, saying that the tax applies per litre of RTD, but it actually only applies per litre of alcohol in an RTD.

The tax goes from 39c to 67c per litre of alcohol and closes a loophole that applied to RTDs. Now they are taxed the same as per a bottle of spirits.

So, for example, a carton of Smirnoff Blacks will go up by about a dollar, which is close to about 4 cents a bottle. RTDs with less alcohol will obviously have a price increase of a bit less.

It's bugger all and it's token policy, but smart tax policy. The opposition to it will be minor because of all the hysteria that's been whipped up by media/government in regards to binge drinking (blanket footage of teens vomiting and fighting), which has been swallowed by christian fundamentalists and overprotective parents. Estimates say it will net the government about $500m a year, but I wonder if this has taken into account the supposed reduction in consumption? Not likely, and that's because there will be no reduction.

Yes, it's a tax grab, but one that Howard and co. would have done anyway. They're hardly opposing it are they.

If they were serious about tackling alcohol addiction and abuse they would ban all advertising. This might upset the supremely well-funded sporting lobbies though

[LBT]

Fair to say i am copping it* at work over these price hikes...wankers!

[Psyber]

The tax will only be on RTDs. There has been misreporting in the media, saying that the tax applies per litre of RTD, but it actually only applies per litre of alcohol in an RTD............. there will be no reduction.

Yes, it's a tax grab, but one that Howard and co. would have done anyway. They're hardly opposing it are they.

If they were serious about tackling alcohol addiction and abuse they would ban all advertising. This might upset the supremely well-funded sporting lobbies though

Yes, the advertising is heavy because it is a mass market item. Nobody advertises to the 25 year old Macallan market, at $180 a bottle!
If they were serious they would ban pre-mixed drinks - they are a big part of the binge drinking pattern - booze disguised with sweet lolly water for those who drink fast to get drunk, but don't actually enjoy the flavour and sip small quantities slowly.

[southee]

I did not vote for him. As soon as RUDDY got in I said "sit back and watch"....its starting now.

Watch this space...more to come later. PATHETIC........

[LaughingKookaburra]

I did not vote for him. As soon as RUDDY got in I said "sit back and watch"....its starting now.

Watch this space...more to come later. PATHETIC........

How very true, we had this massive surplus,wheres that gone?? There has been some outrageous changes and attempts to change our economic spending.2 have been stopped from happening (Cutting the disability carers pension/cutting elderly payments). Interesting to see whats happening to the promise that each kid will have a computer in high school. I heard the other day that it has changed to all kids will have ACCESS to a computer. We are only 6 months in and I think there are alot of people that have voted labour and now are thinking why........

[Psyber]

Wait for the Inheritance Tax, Death Duties, and Capital Gains Tax on the sale of any residence worth more than $250 thousand!
Oh.. and the superannuation bill of 15%, kept in a union run fund, and paid by anyone stupid enough to be an employer - maybe we've got Mad Mark L. after all??

[redandblack]

Are you lot enjoying yourselves?

Last opinion poll

Rudd 61.5 Your lot 38.5

[Psyber]

Are you lot enjoying yourselves?
Last opinion poll
Rudd 61.5 Your lot 38.5

1. YES.

2. Ahh.. but we follow the world trend slowly - it takes the masses a while to see what is happening!

Have you seen the figures for the UK [politicised] council elections - Labour 24% Lib-Dems 25% Conservative 44% - and most of the Lib-Dem vote is people who can't quite come at voting Conservative yet. Voters in the UK are reacting to what it looks like we are about to get judging from the statements and hints that are beginning to emerge before the budget here.

I said I would be happy enough with a Labo[u]r government if we got what Rudd promised, but it is starting to slide away as the true Labor form and dogma emerges. The hidden faces behind the Rudd Puppet are beginning their campaign!

[redandblack]

No! Not the hidden faces!

And you're right, the English Council elections have shaken the very foundations here

[am Bays]

Are you lot enjoying yourselves?

Last opinion poll

Rudd 61.5 Your lot 38.5

Sounds like the polls in Beazleys last days.....

A year is a long time on politics R&B..... (not that I'm confident that we can overturn that in time to win the next election)

[redandblack]

Quite right, TM and anything could happen before the next election.

I just couldn't resist answering my friend Psyber

[Psyber]

No! Not the hidden faces!
And you're right, the English Council elections have shaken the very foundations here

I didn't say they had, just that the same pattern of frustration and despair will happen here when we have had a similar government to theirs for a while.
Blair kept them moderate as long as he could, as will Rudd here - I just don't think Rudd can hold them off as long. And, yes, there are hidden power brokers who helped put up Rudd as a front man. [Both parties have them, though the Libs are usually more public.] I had hoped Rudd would be able to control them once in office, as he presented as a genuine moderate, but the cracks in the facade are already appearing, and hints are dropping to prepare us for the policy switch later this month.

I'm going to the UK soon, and may still be there when the next Aussie election comes around. Fortunately, all my assetts will be in what my accountant calls "a tax-free environment".