Embarrassing back-flip for Roxon on Alcopops

The Hon Peter Dutton MP
Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing

Health Minister Nicola Roxon was today forced into a humiliating back-flip on the Government’s position to give revenue collected under the alcopops tax back to the distillers.

Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Peter Dutton MP, today said the alcopops tax was never a genuine health measure, but a rushed and ill-considered revenue-raising exercise as evidenced by Mr Swan’s presence at today’s media announcement.

“It is now clear this has been a revenue raising exercise incompetently devised by Mr Swan, but left to the Health Minister to ‘spin’ to the media as a health measure.”

“Now for Mr Swan to come out and say the Government has changed its position and will back the Opposition’s proposal, is not only grossly embarrassing for Ms Roxon, but highlights a Government in policy disarray.”

“The Coalition offered the Government, on three separate occasions in the last parliamentary session, the opportunity to validate the revenue already collected with the condition it be used for alcohol education and rehabilitation purposes,” Mr Dutton said.

“This has always been a blatant tax-grab, with no evidence it has reduced binge-drinking, and as such the Coalition will not support a continuation of the measure.”

“It is clearly a desperate political manoeuvre by Mr Swan to try and secure extra revenue as he prepares to deliver a disastrous Budget on behalf of the Government.”

“The Coalition will support legislation to validate the revenue collected to date. We call on the Government to spend all of the money collected so far on alcohol education, prevention and rehabilitation measures.”

“Binge-drinking is a legitimate problem in Australia and it deserves a genuine comprehensive policy response,” Mr Dutton said.

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