I reluctantly enter the fray.
As a once walking ash tray, more smokes than you would believe I understand but disagree with the get off the smokers back mob.
Paul, you a lefty very much so supporting a silver tail from Sydney's rich belt?
And being verbally trashed for it?
I never stop a smoker smoking in my home.
Or car, but gee it stinks.
I searched for ways to stop, give up .
But lengthy stay in hospital Q fever before the inoculation became available,and I never smoked again.
Loved the habit and loathed it, smoked best imported pipe and Cigars roll your own and the Paul Hogan brand, wish I never had.
OUG will disagree, but it kills.
So? I agree with Paul and Suzionline.

lotsa things will kill us belly..lonely ness seems to be the destiny of smokers[and people getting cancer at ever higher rates..because their hate..allowed the blame to be put on smoking]

yes smoke stinks...now govt has mandated
the latest antiburn chemical..after a few drunks burned to their deaths..it is much worse/but who cares..its only smokers..

you cant do much more to hurt us
smoking is the little comfort we can give ourselves

i dont smoke in your workplace or in your pub
or in your club..or in your space..

is it too much to ask
that you stop wearing ya perfumed stink..that reeks..
and gets burned ..TOO..when i try to smoke,..

and stop driving past my place
with ya petro chemical car-cinogenes
and stop stinking up the bus..with that antipersperants

peooples bad breath[garlic/booze/riotted teeth
infected gums and other sins of others
are others sins

but heck when a govt member
cant even defend what was..*half his voter base
now shrunk painfully but steadilly..to one quater..with so much guilt blame and shame..

[redirection away from the real causes of cancer
things like orica leaking out legally..any chemical
it can sneak out into the air..in the dark of night]

air i then burn as i smoke
but you lot get undiluted

this was all created under the influence of a drunk mind
drunk on power and his dayly tipple...

how many pubs/booze crews
does the alp run...booze will cause cancer
and with booze yes one sip your brain cells start to die

but why not attack booze?
or diabetic lollies or transfat fast food

lol

special intrest..?

""Smokers had it all their way..for decades""
as has the anti [reformed]..smokers..

but..wait
those smokers then who got their way
are the same anti/muggs..now getting yet again..THEIR WAY

common courtesy
must extend to ALL STINK
all that put their addictions[fruit]
[like big fat arrrrrses on my side of the seat

suddenly out come all arguments about discrimination. A bit hypocritical now I reckon.

""discrimination and ostracisation""
takes a cettain type

""ulterior motive""
self intrest..money...

""or influenced by others.""

so we dont focuss
on their sins/addictions/stinks

Belly you refer to me as a 'Lefty' supporting the 'silver tails'. I'm not so blinked that I can't see good, when good is done by those I perceive as my political enemy,in this case the conservative O'Farrell led government of NSW. Their legislation cuts across party lines and is good for the vast majority of the community, excepting the micro minority Mr Kean purports to represent, aka pub owners and club executives. Come next election I hope Mr Kean campaigns vigorously on a platform of unrestricted smoking in clubs, pubs and child care centers, a real vote winner.
Belly not related to this thread, where did you get that 6% support for The Greens,more like 12% to 15% and rising. By the way Robo is on the slide big time, as popular with voters, as ants at a picnic.

Maybe Paul you should consider saying some thing controversial, so we can have an argument.
First 6% did not come from my dream time but official polling.
And Robo will do well.
Remember your team failed to pick up much in that NSW road wreck.
It must be remembered just how big Liberals win was.
And that a third of fixed ALP voters bought about the wreck by leaving Labor, not for the Greens.
Big Barry has his mandate, no matter what he does he can not fail in the next election.
In the long run our pain, NSW residents, is for electing a failed ALP one time too many.
I except that,and it has a benefit, strange as that sounds, my party can rise again when it learns this,*never ever again*
Paul what is your long term hope for your party?
Surely not to ever govern?
How long term? if to govern let me say the 12th, of never.

Belly, Newspoll has us at 12-15% both state and federal. While Australia is in a relatively well off position. The conservative element within our society is rather large. Their vote is partly fixed and partly oscillates between the two conservative parties Labor and Liberal. In rough terms the rusted on fixed conservative Labor vote is around 30%. Likewise the ultra conservative fixed Liberal vote is around 30%. For both conservative parties 60% of the vote is tied up. Of the remaining 40% the progressives command about 15% of the vote, independents and sectional interest groups about 5%. Of the remaining 20% around half or 10% of voters are apolitical, a group which are likely to make up their political mind at the last minute, but tend to favor the general trend opinion formed from the media news reports etc. not an overly interested section. The last 10% of voters are the true swinging voters they move backwards and forwards between the two conservative parties. On a two party preferred bases with the conservative ALP at rock bottom they can command their 30% rusted on vote, preference from most of the progressive vote 15% and little else, giving them 45%. On the other hand the conservative Liberal Party can command 30% ultra conservative most sectional interest preferences 5% and all the swingers and disinterested 20%, giving them 55% a clear win. After campaigning the gap generally narrows to something like 48 to 52%, with movement from some disinterested and swingers.

Belly given time with economic instability, people becoming better educated but at the same time more and more marginalized in society. Political affiliation will become more fluid. The big conservative parties, particularly Labor will suffer a reduction in support they can count on, the rusted on voter, in recent history I believe that support has fallen from 40% at its height in the 1970's to around 30% of voters today. That support is still in decline and will continue to decline. While the Progressives will increase their base. Ultra conservatives will polarise to protect their sectional interests. More and more people will question their position in society. The libertarians will come to the fore. Labor may well be again the third party in our political system. Your party may end up in coalition with the ultra conservative.