Grant Chapman (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I listened very closely to question time and the absolutely false spin that was put on that from the minister at that time, because the budget papers clearly show there is going to be an increase in revenue resulting from increase in consumption. That is the only conclusion that can be drawn from those budget figures. Any honest person would recognise that.

This policy clearly highlights a fault in this Labor government across the board. During the last election campaign they went around claiming to be the party for young people and holding themselves out to be in touch—a party that was all things to all people. But the development of this policy clearly indicates that both the Treasurer and the Prime Minister have spent very little time of late with teenagers.

Anyone who bothers to sit down and actually talk to a teenager would understand that the price of alcohol has absolutely no impact on a teenager’s desire to drink alcohol. If a young person wants to drink, the price of alcohol will not prevent them. The only thing that increasing the price of pre-mixed beverages will do is increase inflation and drive teenagers to make different choices about the alcoholic beverages they consume. For example, a six-pack of premixed Johnnie Walker Red and Cola cans, with an alcohol content of five per cent, at a local South Australian Dan Murphy’s, will now cost $18.99, while a 700 millilitre bottle of straight Johnnie Walker Red, with an alcohol content of 40 per cent, at the same store, will cost $28.99. Young people are financially savvy. They will instantly see that for only $10 more the bottle containing 22 standard drinks at 40 per cent alcohol content, plus bottles of Coke with which to mix their own drinks, is much better value for money than the premixed cans containing nine standard drinks at five per cent alcohol.

The sad result of this policy will be to encourage young people to move from lower alcohol content beverages with fewer standard drinks to much stronger alcohol with many more standard drinks. With premixed drinks, the alcohol consumption is accurately known.