How much does this new hard right racist Government love Big Tobacco?
NZ First’s Associate Health Minister Casey Costello has a lot of ideas about the regulation of tobacco – many them will be controversial.
Cigarettes would be insulated from the full impact of inflation under a proposal from New Zealand First Associate Health Minister Casey Costello.
Currently, tobacco excise is increased each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
RNZ has learned Costello is proposing a three year freeze on CPI-related excise increases for smoked tobacco.
But when RNZ put that to her in an interview Costello said she hadn’t looked at it.
“I’ve had no discussions on that at all. Like, that’s – it’s not even something I specifically sought advice on,” she said. “I haven’t looked at a freeze on the excise at all.”
But RNZ has seen a Ministry of Health document, sent to Costello, which says the minister is proposing to freeze the excise tax.
“The additional information you provided to us proposed also to freeze the excise on smoked tobacco for three years,” the document says.
While Costello told RNZ she had not asked for advice on the issue, the Ministry of Health document appears to contradict that.
What the fuck is going on here?
We were all surprised that the first thing the new hard right racist Government did was scrap Smoke free in favour of 8000 deaths for tax cuts!
We now catch Hobsons Pledge nutter and former Taxpayer Union stooge Casey Costello lying to Radio NZ when she was caught out trying to help Shane Jones best mates in Big Tobacco by freezing the excise tax!
This new hard right racist climate denying Government want to suck up to Big Tobacco, an industry that is as evil as evil can be!
Smoking kills 67% of users, no product that addictive should be allowed to have that hold over the market!
We want people off ciggies and onto vapes without addicting a new generation of vapers while respecting individuals right to choose after 18.
We need to deal with our vices in ways that are different to other industries because of the social harm making them illegal would cause. 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 Tobacco Barons peddle their harmful products with the barest of responsibility?
Rather than constantly making it a tax the consumer pays, hit the booze barons, Tobacco Pimps and Gambling dealers with a ring-fenced super tax on their profits margins.
To allow 8000 to die because National want tax cuts for their rich mates is outrageous.
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“ So are they all, honourable men”
If someone us stupid enough to waste their money and health why should it be the states problem . It is demeaning to Maori and Pacifica to say they need to be controlled by the state intervention to save them from themselves
. Basically the Left love to have control and think they can spend my money better than I can.
I stopped smoking when I had my first child both for his health and it gave me more money to spend on him.
So Trevor why on earth would you protect the price of cigarettes from inflation then? It’s your mate Costello that has painted this as a way of helping Maori and Pacifica. Which is odd because this government is supposed to be about no distinction between groups…well may be at least today. It will change tomorrow probably.
Wheel I am sorry if I gave the idea I wanted to stop the price going up,. It should if it helps stop smoking . I was against the smoking bill as it meant there were 600 winning stores and 5400 losers which did not seem fair or helpful.
When she was in her middle 60s my mother was told that if she didn’t give up smoking she’d only have eighteen months to live. She didn’t want to do it – and my dad asked me to talk to her because she wasn’t listening to him. First time I ever swore my mother. She did give up, and lived another twenty years but she still died of lung cancer. And as she said – after she gave up every morning she woke up really, really needing a cigarette. If she hadn’t been a stubborn old lady she would have succumbed. It’s just that addictive.
guerilla surgeon. Correct. The pernicious addiction aspect of nicotine is deliberately ignored by the oh so pious virtue signallers. My Ma had no overtly bad habits, lived to 103, albeit with a crappy quality of life for the last decade or so. Her sister who drank and smoked, barely made it to 100. I doubt auntie rued missing out on those three extra years. Some theoretical ex-smokers pretend to have quit, just to get a bit of peace and quiet. And pleasure.
And along came Shane Porn Jones
Sly watching Jones
Yew beauty! Comment of the day.
That’s the backhanded he gets, porno for life.
“Rather than constantly making it a tax the consumer pays, hit the booze barons, Tobacco Pimps and Gambling dealers with a ring-fenced super tax on their profits margins”
How do you stop them from further putting up prices, thus passing the tax burden on to consumers?
If they put up prices they will make more profit & pay more super profit tax. I suspect that the basic laws of supply & demand would ensure that tobacco companies have some restraint as other companies or alternatives like vaping or quitting will decrease their income. Personally, it would be tempting to send the company managers & shareholders on a one-way rocket lab trip however that would not be a responsible way to deal with them.
More noise about what the government could do or not do.
What did you expect on this blog Jack? Cooking lessons? DIY home improvements?
A number of opinions on this blog reference (like a car bumper sticker) the so-called new hard right racist government. First, some social conservatives (NZF) are economically left. Second I am trying to work out which of the 7/20 cabinet ministers with whakapapa Māori are supposed to be racist. That’s more than a third of cabinet.
Take your blinkers off, that would be a start.