And finally, I'd just like to add that I have comprehensive private health insurance, so effectively, I'm being slogged thrice. ...One for the master,(Government) and one for their dame, (Tobacco companies) and one for the little boy (you) who lives down the lane and benefits from the revenue, ie public health & Medicare, irrespective of whether you have private health insurance or not.
So, feel free to defend your thoughtful big red Ingsoc government Boxy.
Really, did you honestly believe they introduced plain packaging for the good of our health?
No, they just found a palatable way to appease the 'larger' tobacco companies in readiness for their next federal excise tax-hike.
For where the tobacco companies lose from having paid a higher federal excise tax, they gain from 'no frills' manufacturing costs this and from having gained a larger percentage of the market as the smaller companies producing lesser known rival brands will disappear. Companies have already began to shrink their product line, even the bigger ones. And why? Because there's no need to compete, they have it in the bag and our government has made sure the big boys (the big 3) will be taken care of, not unlike they have done with our power and telecommunications companies through increasing regulation and taxation.
This government wont be happy until you only have just one telecommunications company, (Telstra) one power company, and one tobacco companies cigarettes (Victory cigarettes

) to choose from.... because this government are aggressive socialists-communists who oppose free market.
This only ever stood to disadvantage 'some' tobacco companies, smaller lesser known Australian tobacco companies for instance, not the big 'international' 3, who have already established their majority steak in the market and really don't depend as heavily on marketing as the smaller ones do.
It was the smaller and more local tobacco companies who fought plain packaging, not those who stood to benefit most from the lions share of the market.
Try to remember this boxy, before you shoot yourself in the foot again.
Reality checkpoint Boxy....
http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/ch ... al-parties
At the end of the day, both Liberal and Labor reap the benefits of political donations and tobacco tax.
It's just Labor are more discrete about how they go about getting theirs, by way of receiving multiple smaller donations (under $10,000) that don't have to be disclosed to the public.
For example....
Australian Labor Party, South Australian branch political annual return aka donations 2000/2001
http://periodicdisclosures.aec.gov.au/R ... /P2070.pdf
Now whilst Labor gloats about not being in 'direct' receipt of tobacco companies donations, this and denigrates Liberals for openly receiving theirs, Labor fails to mention all the tobacco donations they receive indirectly via their affiliated groups, trade council, unions , etc.
It's a little like receiving a donation from a mate who has collected a donation from a third party and in his name on your behalf.
http://periodicdisclosures.aec.gov.au/R ... 0/X139.pdf
Labor = hypocritical sly dogs!
