Swarbrick frustrated by Deputy PM not backing alcohol harm minimisation bill
Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick says she is frustrated that her bill to ban alcohol sponsorship in sports is not receiving the backing of the government, despite the presence of overwhelming evidence.
Booze has made itself so important to Sport sponsorship that we can’t risk ripping it away because it will damage the ability of Sport to function.
Unless we are prepared to put public money is as a replacement, we get bogged down.
That’s why we need a Vice Tax on business activity whose social damage doesn’t get covered by the taxation they pay!
Gambling, Tobacco & Booze, all of them need the heavy jack boot of the State on their throats at all time!
The Vice tax would be special super tax on top of the total profits made on products that are a blight upon society.
Why should the Gambling Booze Vape Barons peddle their harmful products with the barest of responsibility?
Rather than constantly making it a tax the consumer pays, hit the booze barons with a ring-fenced super tax on their profits margins and put that funding directly into Sport.
That way you fund the Sport but cuts alcohols branding of it.
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Well I think that this wonderful right wing economic management narrative that says wealthier people have more rights to life than poorer people needs to be debated rather than the exceptions.
@ Sam. I totally agree.
I agree society feels this way in 2022.
Well I think that this wonderful right wing economic management narrative that says wealthier people have more rights to life than poorer people needs to be debated rather than the exceptions.
The Tobacco industry will supply you with figures showing that the amount of tax paid on ciggies is far in excess of the amount spent on health problems associated with tobacco use.
Not so for the Alcohol industry. I personally would put a tax of $1 per standard drink on all alcohol sold off license. I would ban all alcohol advertising and would use part of the extra tax collected to support participation in sporting cultural and social activities at all levels.
I’ll cop abuse for this but the ‘evidence’ on alcohol advertising is not overwhelming.
There are lots of tiny poorly designed studies carried out by public health researchers but the studies simply don’t add up to anything clear or definitive.
Ada – Correct. Sadly many of those studies were discredited due to “secret” funding from alcohol funded groups, or very limited research aims/evidence…But, not all studies.
Yep, ‘Alcohol studies’ are incredibly contested, and unless you are in the public Health community you wouldn’t see the long, multi-decade war to ‘settle the science’.
Debates about alcohol are very rarely actually about the alcohol. The debates are much more about conflicting visions of society, and the proper role of Government, and how much we trust individuals – or need to protect them from themselves.
I could believe that.
Ada. If the alcohol advertising wasn’t effective they wouldn’t be paying out for it.
A common fallacy of reasoning.
Anti-alcohol groups think alcohol advertising is about promoting drinking – something that no-one has ever had to do (and so pay for). Drinking alcohol was very popular way before alcohol companies were formed. ‘Selling drinking’ is unnecessary.
It is more accurate to see it as brand advertising, which is about drinkers’ choice of a particular brand over other brands. Which does work, which is why it continues.
Ada. Sure, brand advertising is big, but so also is the impact of subliminal advertising which may be why you are relaxed about alcohol advertising, when the bottom line is that even we who enjoy a tipple are nevertheless very cognisant about the effects of the different degrees of alcohol consumption, especially among the young and the foolish.
Said drinkers might grow up one day & understand that they function better without alcohol but the advertising convinces them that the illusion of joy is better than the reality of hangover so they keep drinking. You have managed to convince yourself that alcohol advertising does not promote its use which suggests that the ability to think rationally disappears before the ability to regurgitate propaganda does.
The pleasure and enjoyment from drinking and/or intoxication is a far, far more motivating factor than advertising.
Do you think people didn’t drink too much before there was advertising to convince them?
“ Didn’t drink too much” ….Apple Cider Aggie rides again…whoopee.
Who is Aggie?
Choice, just like do diversifying assets within an asset class is not diversification or choice. That’s literally the definition of a rigged game.
Fabulous Ada.
Yes Ada I agree.
Chloe always chooses subjects that will raise attention which is a political strategy.
” I’ll cop abuse for this but the ‘evidence’ on alcohol advertising is not overwhelming.
There are lots of tiny poorly designed studies carried out by public health researchers but the studies simply don’t add up to anything clear or definitive.”
Like yourself ada. One more brain fart of logical fallacy misinformation.
Still misspelling your name, countryboy?
Agreed CB.
Bring back Moldon . Use to raise tobacco and alcohol tax every budget.
Went to Gemany in the late 80’s One thing I remember. I saw a Grand mother and Gran Daughter have a Stien of beer at the Museum, just one, then get on a tandem bike and rode off.
Came back to New Zealand went to the pub, at 10pm a bell started ringing on the wall , and we were flushed out.
Instantly i realised just how backward we were.
How we drink- and regulate drinking – is all about culture.
Chloe is right. There, I’ve said it.
But it’s those bloody awful liquor shops out in the suburbs seemingly everywhere run by creeps who would sell their grandmother’s if there was the sniff of a chance of selling a vape on top of a box of Woodies to a 15 year old that need closing down. They are the real scourge!
Woops Robert Muldoon that should say 😉
With you 100% Nathan.
Katy Pai – Thank you
The did everything it could to make cannabis regulation a near impossibility, the legislation they created was so over the top Im sure many pro smokers voted no because of it, but then I think that was Labour’s intention.
Now watching them doing as little as possible when it comes to alcohol speaks volumes.
If this is truly a government who bases evidence on how policy is formed why then does the fact alcohol causes 3 times more harm than cannabis not signal its time to change alcohol law?
If heavy regulation can be created to control the minimal harm cannabis causes then surely a drug causing 3 times more harm should also be covered by over regulation?
Just tells me how paid off and influenced the main parties are. Least corrupt country in the OECD? Tui anyone?
Nah situation is most people enjoy alcohol. More ‘successful’ people enjoy alchol than the waccy baccy.
I thought the Greens were and environmental party? I see Chloe is already lining herself up to be Minister or Funpolice. That’s good because MZ loves nothing more than the fun police. Keep going Chloe.
Sour Kaut Nah. Chloe still enjoys a girls’ night out at The Splash Club in Wellington.
when they ‘sin tax’ karens white wine I might be interested.
I know labor voters are apathetic numbnuts but even they would probaly get off their sad asses and vote against a tax on piss. Then again if it rains polling day lots of them cant be bothered to vote.
Yeah lets tax everything people enjoy and put them in their place! That way we can all just be lifeless drones together in solidarity with those who can’t afford to have fun! We will own nothing and be “happy”.
Nitrium that’s an accurate description of socialism everyone has to be equally miserable.
I guess homelessness, crime, health and education is under control then. It must be time to raise the taxes on the poor.
Someone needs to tell Chloe if she wants to go further in NZ poltics espousing wowserism is not going to get her there.
Why not?
She should cease being so intent on controlling other peoples lives.
She is not my keeper.
This socialist goose never saw a tax he didn’t like. Others to pay.
Moolah to be handed out to the bottom feeding bloggers et al. Because they’re worth it…
Socialism is tedious.
Huh??? What about GST brother. The left are not opposed to cutting taxes we just don’t want to leave people behind.
psm do try to post something mildly interesting…ta
PSM tedious in the extreme.
@ Chloe Swarbrick’s on the right track with this, as she often is, but she’s riding a Harley Davidson behind grant robertson on his little donkey.
Any and all advertising should never be seen on sports persons not matter whether the sport is ‘professional’ or ‘amateur’. Advertising is simply one thing. It’s all, and only, about getting your money out of your pocket so that, that money makes a short, sharp journey into a M-Billionaires pocket and there it will stay, unless they’re taxed of course.
Advertising. Let’s call what it is. ‘Advertising’ is a means of influencing some, preferably all, people into doing something, or buying something they would otherwise not think they needed , or would want to do, [or did need and did want to do…] until it was advertised at them. Personally, I don’t like that. I don’t want anyone overtly, or covertly, manipulating my mind to get me to do, or buy, something I never realised I needed, or needed to do until it was beamed into my innocent little Amygdala sitting there desperately wanting attention, for someone, anyone, to come along to play with it.
My little amygdala is a simple thing in that it doesn’t know sound information from mind controlling hypnosis and that’s where the problem lies for all of us. In front of the donkey but behind the Harley.
Banksy said, and I paraphrase, “Advertising is yours, because, more often than not, you have no choice as to whether to see it or not, so feel free to do what you like to it.” I think he meant tear it down, rip it up, or deface it as required.
‘Advertising’ is a means of influencing your mind to get you to do the bidding of the advertisers and it’s a dubious practice and it’s effects are largely unknown long term. The dubious advertising sphere of advertising expertise should be very closely monitored and regulated by our government which should be by us and for us. Unfortunately since the dawn of the toxic rogerGnomes, our government isn’t for we, the people anymore. It’s for them. The advertisers.
Banksy also wrote ” I want to live in a world created by art, not just decorated with it. ”
There’s absolutely nothing creative or artistic about advertising. No matter how pretty, enticing, vulgar or exploitative advertising is, it’s always about hypnotising you into your spending your money.
Chloe Swarbrick. You’re right, of course. But I think we humans should be able to drink, smoke, inject or otherwise absorb what ever we like when ever we like. We’re not perfect and we should remember that. We should also remember that we’re here for each other whether we like it or not. It’s a pity our politics is no longer representative of that. More Banksy quotes here. ( I have noticed that a couple of them could be credited to other people. Just sayin’ fyi. )
Yeah, but let’s make sure that only the rich can afford said “vices”, and the working poor can’t. We don’t want the peons to enjoy things, so making things that people enjoy unaffordable for all the losers at the bottom of the social economic ladder is exactly the right move for the progressive social government! Lets do this! /sarc (for those that don’t get it).
Countryboy. “ There’s absolutely nothing creative or artistic about advertising “ . There can be. The old Bremworth Carpet television advertisements quoting Yeats, “ I have spread my dreams under your feet, Tread softly because you tread on my dreams,” was aesthetically beautiful, the words spoken by a mellifluous male voice. Ironically though, in view of that particular advertisement’s purpose, the lovely poem itself pans out agreeing to do without getting any new carpet. Not being sporty I don’t know any alcohol advertisements apart from the ubiquitous Tui ones, which are now culturally iconic and enjoyed as clever.
“The Vice tax would be special super tax on top of the total profits made on products that are a blight upon society.”
Frightening stuff. I mean genuinely frightening.
Obviously meat and dairy are a vice too in 2022! I mean think of the climate!
People that subscribe to this sort of infringement on basic freedoms deserve what they get. Who, exactly, are the gatekeepers as to what a “vice” is? Do we get to vote on it? Yeah, didn’t think so.
Too true. Let’s tax bacon, for example…
It would be inappropriate for me not to comment here; I admire Chloe Swarbrick’s tenacity and perspicacity. Her realism is confounding, given that she has to navigate the tracks and tunnels between the debating chamber and the plebian world of clownworld. The referendum bill was, I believe, a little too restrictive but obviously nothing gets past Family First. Since the referendum on cannabis reform, there have been a lot of false starts and conflicting information. Dr Reti introduced a private member’s bill decriminalising cannabis but this was not glamorous enough for our politicians who voted it down and we returned to the alcohol takes all model. Many start-ups were crushed out of business, having to burn their crops and wonder what to do next, as with prospective purveyors of hemp fabric and health and beauty products; hemp got to be the new ragwort-worth nothing but a headache. Personally speaking, as a designer always looking for natural fabrics I was gutted to discover this retrograde, regressive, retarded move to neo-maccarthyism via an abundance of happy-clapping and privacy-invading God botherers who don’t pay tax and rort the system, meant another gruelling epoch of polyester and harvey-wallbangers ad nauseam. Now the All Blacks are losing their rugby games a little of that hubris may start to slip slide…..
“I’m just getting drunk because I can’t get stoned..”
like. thumbs up. high five. I like watching the All Blacks for their nose blowing techniques. hemp jerseys? cdb sponsors? nz could grow the best weed. lol – what a bunch of conservative nonces.
my vice is my own and too hell anyone who tries to intervene… consenting adults is all good in my hood. mind your own business. you can’t regulate my human endocrine system.
Yes billid don’t need or want Chloe Swarbrick telling us what we can do.
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