Letter Back From Treasurer ('s Staff)

[Bizier]

Hi All,

I am just quickly writing to say that after months of sporadically writing to various powers that be, that I got my first return communication from the Office of The Treasurer.

Basically a Mr Martin Jacobs contacted me (apparently directly asked by our Fedral Treasurer) to say that the government "understands the importance of the beer to Australia, and the role played by micro brewers" and that my views will be forwarded to the tax Review Panel for consideration in the Dec 09 final report.

Really, it is long-windedly passing me on, but I urge others to kick up a fuss about the exise situation and the ramifications on potential industry (and therefore employment) growth. Be annoying squeaky wheels. A few short minutes sending an email here and there might be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
e.g I have already drawn attention to this short but sweet article and will continue in a similar fashion.

Kind regards
Dan

 

[technocat]

Hi Bizier

I have been following this topic over the past few months about the inequalities between the beer and wine excise and receive updates periodically from the Australian Association of Microbreweries. I believe a petition was presented to the senate regarding this anomaly with regard to the wine excise which winegrowers enjoy tax breaks but of which are not afforded to craft brewers. Whether a draft petition could be posted on this forum and for those interested in supporting the craft brewing fraternity and make a signed copy to be sent to the appropriate minister, it just may help further the cause of a struggling industry trying to assert itself in a niche market of quality beers against the the giants already established.

Keep up the fight
Beernut.

 

[Bizier]

Yes, the petition is great, but it is also adventageous for individuals to speak up independently rather than purely as an organised body so that feedback following the same trend is received from various sources and across different demographics and locations. Wow, I think I sound like a university radical.

 

[arsenewenger]

Hey Bizier

Great idea I will join the crusade and start emailing . It might be worth adding the email addy's of the people who you have sent this to(on this thread) so everyone can be sending to the same dept's all the time

Thanks
AW

 

[goatherder]

Quick question, what would be a good list of addresses to begin emailing?

 

[technocat]

Good question, I will do some digging and post where the best place with the most clout is to send an email. With the number of people that support this forum, that would stack up to be quite a few emails and hopefully apathy doesn't set in and the whole thing falls in a heap. Set against the backdrop of big breweries and the wine growing industry IMO I get the impression that the government treat craft brewing as a bit of a flea bite. Collectively if everybody concerned keeps biting long enough and hard enough they my sit up and take some notice.

 

[crozdog]

Here is a starting point:

AFTS Secretariat
The Treasury
Langton Crescent
PARKES ACT 2600

Email: [email protected]

Interestingly NO submissions have been received from the Australian Association of Microbreweries! See http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/s...on.aspx?round=2

 

[technocat]

Another point of irritation to the Government over W.E.T. (wine equalization tax) for Craft Brewers might be in Dr Craig Emerson who is the member for Rankin and holds a portfolio including national stream lining of small business regulation, lifting unfair practices on small business to promote jobs. He apparently works with Lindsay Tanner the finance minister.
To anyone interested, letters in great numbers to Craig Emerson would possibly help further the cause of a struggling Micro Brewery industry. His email address [email protected] for those banana benders up in the north he has a web site with all his details if you want to get personal.

cheers

 

[Bizier]

My intuition tells me that if everyone writes a decent little letter from their own perspective, as to why Australia will benefit from easing the prohibitive taxes on craft breweries, then it will receive individual attention. I try to tailor my emails to acknowledge each recipient and as to how it is their responsibility to act on the behalf of Aussies taking financial risks to follow their passion for quality produce.

The speech that MP Kay Hull gave (I believe presenting the big petition) to parliament on this issue was fantastic, and I have attempted to include the angle on craft beer representing a different pattern of consumer behaviour in relation to alcohol, especially when all targets are on binge drinking at the moment.

I think first steps o voice your concerns with your local government, your local federal member, and anyone you see as potentially useful in changing things. I have written to many incl. fed treasurer, fed minister for health, Senator Fielding, and have been meaning to write to Senators Joyce and Xenophon. I think that it is better for every person (where possible) to adopt their own approach so that it actually comes across as individual appeals for help.

I brought my federal member a four pack of Murray's Grand Cru to show him first hand what craft brew can be about, quality.

Also ask your local micro for ideas and ask them how they are affected, that might give a good springboard for first hand material.

Cheers to anyone who takes the time to write, I believe that you are doing the industry a favour.

 

[peas_and_corn]

I agree with Bizier- form letters are ignored, they need to be personalised.

Also note that letters to Lyndsay Tanner would be good, he's the Finance minister, the one who is all about cash flow.

 

[Doc]

Great work Dan.
I'll be contacting them and saying my 2cents worth.

Doc

 

[technocat]

Great work Dan.
I'll be contacting them and saying my 2cents worth.

Doc

That's the fighting spirit View attachment 29268