A humble glass (who am I kidding. Gulp spurted directly into the throat, rather) of Fruity Lexia may no longer be the most viable option on the market anymore, comrades, as Fairfax reports the Abbott government is pondering a tax hike on cask wines—potentially effective within the next eighteen months.
“I wouldn’t expect too much in this budget, but we are certainly looking at anomalies in the tax system that favour large producers of cheap alcohol, and the health issues associated with those anomalies.”
According to Fairfax, the discrepancy in taxes paid per standard drink are fairly blistering for cask wines: while pre-mixed spirits take in about one dollar of taxes per standard drink, goon only pays about 4 cents in taxes per standard drink.
Reaping in the dollarydoos isn’t, however, the main issue at stake, according to Public Health professor at Melbourne University Rob Moodie, who praised the positive health outcomes of such a move in relation to cheap binge drinking. Naturally, this is only too true – a good majority of people in Australia will no doubt attest to the special brand of hell that is a goon-induced hangover.
Keep your eyes peeled on next month’s budget in case such a decision does make the cut; otherwise, a further investigation and report into the adjustment of tax on alcohol will be followed up later this year.
via SMH.
