Yesterday the Federal governments tax grab on " Alcopops " drinks went down in a screaming heap ! Family First Senator Steve Fielding refused to go along with a cosy little arrangement that suited both sides of the house - and voted down the legislation.
The government claimed to be concerned about ready to drink alcohol being consumed by under age drinkers - and slapped a 70% tax on it, raising prices from 30 c to $ 1.30 per drink.
Did anyone seriously think that increasing the price caused the kids who set out to get stinking drunk on a Saturday night to throw up their hands in horror - and cease drinking ?
They simply either mixed their own from spirits and soft drinks, or in some cases got their high from smoking Marijuana - or even worse - trying " Ice " for the first time.
Haven't the politicians learned that knee jerk reactions like hiking the price of popular goods will only produce an equal and opposite reaction ? In this case it was purely a tax grab. It backfired - and now the government will have to hand back the $ 300 million already collected.
Senator Fielding offered a reasonable compromise for his support of the bill. He demanded that alcohol advertising be banned during daytime sports broadcasting !
That was too much for both the main political parties. They feared the power and wrath of the alcohol industry - and they were not prepared to disrupt the huge flow of political donations that fed into their coffers !
Accusations will fly back and forth and back room deals will be taking place to try and save face, but it all boils down to lack of will to control an out of control situation.
We only have to listen to a news broadcast or read a newspaper to see the damage alcohol is doing to sport. Players with too much ego - and far too much money - are driving drunk, brawling in bars and sexually attacking women.
Take alcohol out of sport and stop the glamour presentation - and then we might have a small chance of changing the behaviour of our young people.
But not while our duplicitous politicians have their snouts in the trough !
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