By: qikvtec
2/07/2009
12:57 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Not on it's MERIT
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Despite it's origin I beleive it has no Merit.
Just for the record Buzz, I've voted Labor in my time, and will do so again when they present a party worthy of my vote. |
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By: pathogan70
2/07/2009
1:00 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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How about a law, preventing parents from giving overweight kids junk food or ice creams? Lets face it, obesity isnt that great for children, and unhealthy food only makes the problem worse.
Oh, I see. We already have police out there raking in the bucks from traffic offences and this is just another way of getting money out of motorists. |
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By: andreihicks
2/07/2009
1:03 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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A fella my dad knows had to recently put "No smoking in this vehicle" in every single one of his 1,000 trucks and vans in his company.
The police now have the powers to stop and fine a person seen smoking in a designated work vehicle.
It's just madness and we wonder why real crime is a problem these days? |
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By: weed612001
2/07/2009
1:08 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Just like the conservative's to defend the indefensible. |
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By: qikvtec
2/07/2009
1:10 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| I'm certainly not advocating the practice, I just don't see the point of creating an unenforcebale law. |
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By: weed612001
2/07/2009
1:22 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Where are the conservatives high moral values now? |
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By: perceptions_now
2/07/2009
1:28 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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"he's talking about personal responsibility"
slr,
I don't know that "Personal Responsibility" works too well?
If it did, half of the legal profession would be out of work!
It seems that in modern day life, there should always be someone else to blame and sue, for almost everything that happens.
Being a reformed smoker, I should make no further comment?
That said, smoking is A MASSIVE DRAIN ON GOVERNMENT RESOURCES, a KILLER & A PRODUCT THAT LEAVES MISSERY IN ITS WAKE!
However, all that has happened, to date, is governments nibbling at the edges of the issue.
If governments ever get tired of taking the tobacco companies money, the we may take some serious action and put it (tobacco & related products) on the BANNED DRUGS LIST. |
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By: andreihicks
2/07/2009
1:30 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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'That said, smoking is A MASSIVE DRAIN ON GOVERNMENT RESOURCES,'
I disagree.
If everyone stopped smoking tomorrow, there would be a tax revenue hole the size of the Grand Canyon in the Government books. |
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By: weed612001
2/07/2009
1:34 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Conservatives always talk about "personal responsibility' untill they are caught rooting ther'e mistress or exepting brown paper bags under ther'e desks , then it is always the media's fault! |
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By: qikvtec
2/07/2009
1:34 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Maybe they could just legalise wacky tobaccy as a substitute, and tax the ass out of it.
Obesity will explode though but you could bet your ass there'd be a whole lot less road rage. |
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By: qikvtec
2/07/2009
1:35 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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or exepting brown paper bags under ther'e desks
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Isn't that normally the realm of those on the other side of the political divide? |
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By: andreihicks
2/07/2009
1:36 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Why am I thinking of Rex Connor? |
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By: slr2007mclaren
2/07/2009
1:37 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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PN
gr8 point
facts are citizens are doing things that will drain the public purse
government of all persuasions cannot legislate against these actions but they must pick up the pieces at the end
those who are rich are less of a drain on the public system
those who are less well off will are the problem for governments
so how do you save people from themselves?
one one hand they say "I have free will and I can smoke or become obese if I want to"
then when cancer hits or diabetes comes along
they are on their knees saying
"I am so sorry I didn't know...no one told me...the government should have done something to stop me but its too late now"
they blame everyone else except themselves
they pretend as if the totally innocent
how many smokers are there now that does not know smoking is bad for them?
how many obese people do not know that their lifestyle is killing them?
so do we legislate to control the minority that will impact the majority who are doing the right thing?
. |
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By: perceptions_now
2/07/2009
1:47 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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"If everyone stopped smoking tomorrow, there would be a tax revenue hole the size of the Grand Canyon in the Government books."
Andrei,
Gee, we had been going so well, we actually agreed with each other a couple of times?
Yes, I understand where that comment comes from, but as usual there is a Cost/Benefit trade off.
Yes, the income from the Tobacco industry is large and governments are not falling over themselves to cease that income, particularly now.
But, also, the Costs are greater in direct & indirect medical costs, but also in associated costs to industry, not to mention personal suffering & the suffering of family & relatives. |
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By: m1nokey123
2/07/2009
1:50 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| So we abolish DOCs then as a drain on the public purse? Smoking in the car with children is child abuse. |
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By: slr2007mclaren
2/07/2009
1:52 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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I think DOCS as a concept is a great idea
but then are under resourced |
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By: pathogan70
2/07/2009
2:26 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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concepts and ideas are a dime a dozen. Communism is a great idea, but rarely works in practice.
DOCS... you mean like the 4 year old boy who came to DOCS attention 5 or 6 times, before being run over and killed while trying to cross a busy road with his drunk mother?
They might have some success stories, but the failures are very spectacular. |
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By: buzzanddidj
2/07/2009
3:45 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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'Oh, I see. We already have police out there raking in the bucks from traffic offences and this is just another way of getting money out of motorists'
That's funny....
I thought the consesnsus was it would COST the State Governments' 'millions' ?
NOT be a 'revenue raiser' ?
. |
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By: buzzanddidj
2/07/2009
3:51 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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'If everyone stopped smoking tomorrow, there would be a tax revenue hole the size of the Grand Canyon in the Government books'
Yes, there WOULD
But the saving on public health costs would be much greater, but 20 years down the track
This is a BIG problem with ALL governments
They won't make bold moves that are costly, in the immediate
Just to have ANOTHER government reap the benefit in the future
. |
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By: andreihicks
2/07/2009
3:54 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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'They won't make bold moves that are costly, in the immediate'
I agree.
The revenue savings in healthcare are a good 20 years down the track from a smoking ban.
However when you have Governments looking to be elected and running on 4 year platforms, I am not sure what there is you can do about it. |
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By: andreihicks
2/07/2009
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Out of interest, and a reality, how would the Government cover the huge tax revenue hole from a smoking ban?
You proposing higher personal taxation? Higher Corporation tax?
Cuts in social spending elsewhere? Freeze on public sector pay?
How would you cover it? I don't have an answer. |
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By: mr_rekshun
2/07/2009
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>>Out of interest, and a reality, how would the Government cover the huge tax revenue hole from a smoking ban?>>
You do realise that no one is proposing a ban on smoking right? It's just smoking in cars with kids.
That said, to address your hypothetical - you could probably offset smoking tax revenue loss by placing a tax on junk food. Given that junk food is a lot more proliferate than smoking (and arguably just as much a burden on the health system), you'd probably end up in a better position. |
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By: humblegenius_fp
2/07/2009
4:08 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Andre, they wont stop smoking because yes, there would be a revenue hole, and then a black market would flourish. End result, no revenue and the problem still exists. |
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By: qikvtec
2/07/2009
4:33 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Cuts in social spending elsewhere?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++
Could always cut the dole pool by 50% and rid the system of all the bludgers. |
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By: vegitamite97
2/07/2009
5:20 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| I still can not believe the irresponsible remark from a health minister making light of smoking. Honestly. |
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