We are being ripped off

[malt junkie]

I would say death is worse than broke, broke you can get over, death is irreversible.

Heads up, curing addiction, or having no addictions, won't stop death.

 

[Grott]

You don't cure any addiction, by sending people broke, you create larger problems.

Not sure if Australia wide but in SA the government introduced a hefty tax on alcohol drink mixtures like those can mixes (eg UDL) and alcopop bottles in an attempt to stop teenage binge drinking. All this did was to actually force an alternative. Buy a bottle of strong alcohol and mix your own.

Now at least one positive issue with the mixes was the alcohol content at the start of the “binge” was at least the same at the end of the “binge.
By mixing their own the problem has worsened, as like most that mix, start off with more mixer than alcohol, end up more alcohol than mixer.

 

[Grott]

I would say death is worse than broke, broke you can get over, death is irreversible.

Sadly there are different levels of “being broke”

 

[DU99]

Grott ..victoria got the same with pre mixed
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/04/27/1208743339515.html

 

[Dae Tripper]

In Mexico they have put a 10% tax on soft drinks (sugar tax) and for 2 years running have seen a drop in consumption. Tobacco use here would surely be down compared to 20 years ago, I have no idea of the cost but if people are still smoking then surely it is not enough.

In a country that had Coke cheaper and significantly safer than most water, it was time they did something. Or you could make the water safe too...

 

[bradsbrew]

In a country that had Coke cheaper and significantly safer than most water, it was time they did something. Or you could make the water safe too...

Is that cola you a referring to?

 

[Dae Tripper]

Is that cola you a referring to?

Lol yes, the dark nectar of life, not the crazy powder.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Heads up, curing addiction, or having no addictions, won't stop death.

Nothing will stop death, it is inevitable, curing addictions and having no addictions prolongs life and there is such a thing as choice.

In a country that had Coke cheaper and significantly safer than most water, it was time they did something. Or you could make the water safe too...

Bottled water is still far cheaper than cola, but unfortunately sugar is also an addiction.

Sadly there are different levels of “being broke”

True, but still manageable and reversible, death comes in one format only.

 

[malt junkie]

True, but still manageable and reversible, death comes in one format only.

Tell that to the 100,000 homeless in this country, who if they remain so, have a very curtailed life span.

Aging population is only going to get bigger the more clever we get, and as it is now we can't afford it. And a lot of pensioners can barely afford to live. So is the answer to work towards extending lives so they can retire into poverty. The number of elderly who die every year due to fiscally imposed restrains (think undernourishment, cold, heat stroke, lack of appropriate care) will only rise. I can't see this as being morally or fiscally prudent.

 

[Dae Tripper]

Bottled water is still far cheaper than cola, but unfortunately sugar is also an addiction.

Your right not cheaper but basically the same before the tax hike.

Ramón Aguirre Diaz, director of Mexico City’s water utility, says water quality isn’t as bad as believed: 95% of Mexico City’s drinking water is potable and 80% to 90% elsewhere in the country.
The National Water Commission says 9% of the population lacks access to tap water and 13% to sanitation.

So why trust water.

The current cost vs cola (shoud be after the tax hike)
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) 12.00 MXN
Water (0.33 liter bottle) 9.54 MXN
Or in Aussie dollars
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) 0.82 A$
Water (0.33 liter bottle) 0.65 A$

References
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Mexico&displayCurrency=AUD
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/ivancastano/2012/02/22/mexicos-water-war/amp/

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Tell that to the 100,000 homeless in this country, who if they remain so, have a very curtailed life span.

One of the main causes of homelessness brings us back to substance abuse/addiction how many of those homeless fall into that category?
There will always be people who live for today without a care for the future, so there will always be people who will face a shortfall in retirement. The government is already taking steps to address this by reducing or cutting out the pensions altogether from those who have put money aside for their old age, my parents lose their pension next year under the means test.
I think the only thing the government can do is take more money off us in tax, raise the GST to 20% then just maybe they can look after the homeless and pensioners.

 

[malt junkie]

The top 1% of wage earners in this country probably each pay less tax than you do, they earn more that the entire bottom 20%, but no politician is ever going to go out of their way to tie this 1% to any sort of equilibrium, because they are the big contributers who help get them their nice comfy piece of the pie in politics.

We could do what the Yanks have done and say **** the poor! But then we'll have the same, destitution, and crime they do (just without the guns). You can drive through any part of any city at any time you like in this country; we don't have square kilometers of ghettos sprawled across the outskirts of our cities. I like it that way.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Gold.

 

[madpierre06]

Maybe we might score a politician who's got the stones and integrity to come in and put an end to the never ebnding gravy train that former politicians slop from...starting with tax payer funded, obscenely bloated pensions.

yeah, I heard myself.

 

[captain crumpet]

Tell that to the 100,000 homeless in this country, who if they remain so, have a very curtailed life span.

Aging population is only going to get bigger the more clever we get, and as it is now we can't afford it. And a lot of pensioners can barely afford to live. So is the answer to work towards extending lives so they can retire into poverty. The number of elderly who die every year due to fiscally imposed restrains (think undernourishment, cold, heat stroke, lack of appropriate care) will only rise. I can't see this as being morally or fiscally prudent.

Can i bring euthanasia into this? Or is that too taboo? I mean If society forces you into quick sand and doesn't throw you a rope...

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Why do you think they enter politics, great pension scheme theirs is always on the up, Malcolm is already worth $150 million and he thinks being prime minister is fun, I wouldn't pay that douche bag in 1/2" washers.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Can i bring euthanasia into this? Or is that too taboo? I mean If society forces you into quick sand and doesn't throw you a rope...

Funnily enough I have been giving euthanasia a lot of thought, I was all for it, let people die with dignity but 2 years ago I was ready to let go of life, even looking forward to it, then went on a trial and came good, though one never gets cured of cancer it has given me some more years (don't know how many) so unless they get the policy right I can't now say I fully agree with it.

 

[Leyther]

Australia is a very expensive country these days but I think its not all down to tax, a lot is probably greed too.

I was in the UK last year drinking Little Creatures Pale Ale and paying 2.99GBP for it in the walkabout bar, at todays ex rate (1.7 AUD2GBP) that's ~$5, yet in Melbourne CBD which is about 60km from where its brewed you'd be lucky to get one for less than $9!!! The UK has excise duty too plus there's the cost of freight, etc so how can this be? how much of that $9 is the greed of the bar owners or the greed of the landlord who rents out the pub.

Australia, the lucky country or the ripoff expensive country?

BTW that pic in the UK from a view posts back was staged although I have seen a scene very similar in Dumfries in Scotland

 

[Bribie G]

The main result of making Pre mixed drinks so expensive was to basically kick off widespread cider drinking in Australia.

Before that, cider was a weird thing that vegans and funny old men with funny whiskers drank. There was Strongbow, Mercury, end of story.

Now in our local bottlo the cider section is as big or bigger than the Bundy / Woodstock section.

Reminds me I must pop out for couple of 1.25L of Little Fat Lamb 8% before they ban that.

 

[Yuz]

$28 for a Jug of Furfy's. Not overly alcoholic nor spectacular brew, but acceptable.
My first "commercial" purchase in months. I think next one will only be into the 2018 sometime.