wtf kinda sham is this (grrgrrgrr). from what i've been reading the gov hasn't even ATTEMPTED to cover up that the prohibition is simply because "it will get them money" coz everyone will be forced to BUY it from the big tobacco comps, the sales of which are heavily taxed.
really long url, hey look, now it's smaller
(ATO = Australian Tax Office)
i mean... they didn't even try to cover it up!@! they just fucken came out and said, on official channels none the less: "This would undermine the revenue and health policies of the Government in relation to tobacco"Opposition to the Bill
15.
16. The submission from Oztobacco, an internet marketer of Grow Your Own Tobacco Kits, stated that the new measures would close their business, presumably because the excise would make them uncompetitive. Oztobacco indicated that the market for kits within Australia is relatively small: 93 kits were sold in 1999-2000 financial year.11 Oztobacco appeared to base its argument on the assumption that its business was currently operating within the law, even though it seems not to be paying excise. The ATO indicated that Oztobaccoâ??s view was wrong. The ATO stated:
Contrary to assertions in [Oztobaccoâ??s] submission, growing, drying and cutting your own tobacco is not a legitimate activity. There is no tobacco equivalent to the do-it-yourself concession that applies to home brewers under the Excise law.
Easy access to tobacco seed presents a high risk that any non-commercial growing and manufacture of tobacco could easily transform into commercial activity outside the licensed sector. This would undermine the revenue and health policies of the Government in relation to tobacco.
On enactment of the Bill, the ATO proposes to inform Mr Groves that he will no longer be able to sell tobacco seed.12
grrity grr grr
are you guys allowed to grow/cure your own tobacco?