Dear Mr Rudd, You're Making Me Hate You
30 April 2008
First it was alcopops, now this. The Rudd government is threatening to raise the tax on beer and wine...by 300%. Hearing this, I was so shocked and outraged I almost dropped the bottle. Thankfully I didn't, because I haven't vaccuumed in a few days, which makes sucking Chardonnay out of the carpet rather unpleasant.
But this isn't about reducing binge drinking - the government has factored the increased tax revenue from alcopops into the budget, so they're not counting on a reduction in consumption. The whole thing is, as the head of the Australian Hotels Association says, "an outrage against working men and women". (A class cursed by work, and it's nice to hear an adult twist on the ever-ready phrase "working families".) Apparently they are going to tackle the problem with a "shock advertising campaign" - I look forward to the appearance on our TV screens of the Grim Wowser.
The Howard government did many heinous things. But they never tried to take my alcohol away. The current government should watch out: I will turn to illegal drugs instead, quit my job (and quit paying the crippling taxes they think I owe as an unmarried childless reasonable income earner) and start voting Green, and then where will you be.
If you want to get angry, try measuring the tax you pay in terms of the number of baby bonuses paid, or the number of fraudulently obtained disability pensions paid out.
ReplyDeleteThinking about it, I need a drink. Which will generate more tax revenue to pay those things...it's a vicious cycle.
ReplyDeletei find myself disappointed by simplistic BS policy again. raising the price of leg-spreaders by 0.30 will do nothing to stop consumption. a 300% tax increase will do nothing but piss people off
ReplyDeletethat, and raise revenue - which is what this is really about.
I agree! The government has pretty well admitted as much. Rudd is just trying to make the whole nation assuage his guilt at going to Scores.
ReplyDelete