In this week’s instalment of citizen journalism, Queensland publican Mark Doyle comments on the Federal Government’s shock tax hike on RTDs, describing it as the knee-jerk reaction of a clueless government.
“It is ridiculous to suggest that RTDs are the only form of binge drinking. We are very concerned that this government hasn’t done a lot since being in power apart from meetings and reports on how well they have performed and then this, a knee-jerk reaction to a problem that doesn’t address the real issue. I would suggest a better education on moderation within the schools.
“As a publican I have some responsibility to our patrons. However, when the government imposes a one-off charge like this to one sector only of the liquor pricing and think they have done a fantastic job — it’s a joke.
“No doubt another report card will come out in another hundred days to suggest they have solved the binge drinking problem when in fact the younger that are presumably being targeted will no doubt move to a different form of drinking or in fact probably swing further to illicit drugs given the price of these versus the RTD now being charged.
“When and where will it stop? Does the government and bureaucratic system need to impose rules and new laws on everyone to solve a problem that is generated by 5 per cent of the population of pub goers? When will the majority rule rather than the minority having rules imposed on everyone?”
Mark Doyle is the licensee of Lee’s Hotel, the original ‘Pub with no Beer’ in Ingham, Queensland.
To see TheShout’s Monday report on the latest RTD tax, click here.
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