The government was accused of hypocrisy and political gamesmanship during the debate on raising tobacco excise duty.Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton said he would support the legislation but lashed the government for not raising excise on alcoh
The government was accused of hypocrisy and political gamesmanship during the debate on raising tobacco excise duty.
Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton said he would support the legislation but lashed the government for not raising excise on alcohol as well.
"The ink has barely dried on the Law Commission's report when Justice Minister Simon Power rejected the report's recommendation for a 50% increase to the excise tax on alcohol," he said.
"And 24 hours later it's agreed to keep the Maori Party happy and rush a bill through Parliament under extraordinary urgency to increase the price of tobacco."
Mr Anderton said alcohol abuse had been proved to cause brain damage, aggression and cancer.
"Then there are the people who get hurt by heavy drinkers -- 60 percent of people arrested by the police were under the influence of alcohol when they committed their crime, there are now 70,000 physical and sexual assaults a year that can be attributed to alcohol abuse. That's 1350 a week," he said.
"The National government has sunk to new levels of political cynicism tonight in a move which smacks of hypocrisy at best and political gamesmanship at worst."
