Pubs are over anyways. I mean everything you would do in a pub subjects you to a tut tut from the judgemental far right religous nutcase bores.

I mean why protest what happens in a pub? Nobody forces anyone to go in one. People with small, shallow and spiteful lives probably. Nothing better to do than flit about preaching from their poision pulpits. Everything you can do there is slowly being legislated out of existence along with Aussie culture. Seems they may up family sizzler style restuarants..or maybe religous nut case headquarters ! Add a mineret lol, that is ok! The only human right left apparently hee hee

We have handed over adult responsbility to those that have learned about human behaviours from books. This is what qualifies people these days. Life experience not required as it is not expected many will actually have any!

Thomas from Tacoma.

I'd agree with Dorothy, (well not in those words, but the sentiment).

Though I ain't one of your "if you've done nothing wrong, there's nothing to worry about" types, when it comes to civil rights. Hell, I'm very noisy when it comes to defending civil rights.

I don't view taxes as an impingement on civil rights. I'll defend your right to play the pokies, just as I exercise my right to call it a stupid way to spend money. It's your money. By all means, spend it how you wish.

However, we need to tax stuff. That's how the government gets money. It's how we pay for all the modern necessities, such as roads, government spin-doctors and half-baked schemes to censor the internet.

Well, ok, it's not always wisely spent. But we do need to tax things, and when it comes to things that are detrimental to society, which you can qualitatively state when it comes to say, pokies, cigarettes and booze, well hell, I say tax the bejeezus out of them.

I like the odd drink, though I don't mind them being taxed. I also realise, that if you annoy too many people, your government will be thrown out.

So to summarise: your assumption about civil-rights and tax is half-arsed. I say, pick on the pokies all you want as long as you don't ban them altogether. Then it does indeed become a civil rights issue.

Good day to you.

"... no respect for the rights of those Australians who enjoy playing the pokies.."

yeah, well allsop may want to look more closely, to see how much "enjoyment" he actually witnesses. i also worry about legislating sensible behaviour, but allsop's article is dishonest sleaze.