The Labor party for 6 years were pioneers in thought bubble populist policies that cost a fortune and either achieved very little or nothing, or led to the disastrous consequences that experts had predicted.

Today we add a new star to the sky of labor failures, the plain packaging laws that in a single stroke have managed to reverse the 2 decade long downward trend in smoking.

I would like to say I was the first to say I told you so, but the there were a long line of experts saying that the effect of plain packaging may very well change smokers to cheaper cigarettes and boost smoking rates.

This can be added to Labor's horror roll of failed policies:
1 The carbon tax that ruined industries and failed to reduce emissions,
2 The mining tax that added huge compliance costs to miners and raised no tax,
3 The BER debacle that wasted $8bn of tax payers money.
4 The $9bn cash hand out that boosted imports but did almost nothing for the economy.
5 The pink Batts disaster
6 The Boats policy that launched 1000s of boats with over 50 000 illegal immigrants, cost over $10bn and killed up to 2000 people.
6a The East Timor solution,
6b The Malaysian solution,
6c The Regional solution, (without which supposedly there could be no stopping the boats),
7 The GP super clinics that are mostly still empty,
8 Grocery watch and fuel watch,
9 The climate peer review group,
10 Gonski,
.... The list is almost endless

I tried to make a list of Labor's positive achievements but couldn't think of any.

THERE///is supposed to be a law suit..in process
IN ARTICLES..but i cant find it

did find my latest

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6259&page=0
one on the earliest
CONTRADICTION..OF/FACT..actually SAID..IN..PARLEMENT[extensive]
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4307#109664

and a current one i been updating
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6196&page=0

but im so over...these govt wars..on our morals
by what right does govt tax me..as a sink into that long dark night

my last act on earth will be a calming smoKE/as i blow..it out calmly/saying..gree at last..fre-at/last..my time..in hell is past.

THAT/LAST/calming..ciggarette..I PAID..HUNDREDS FOLDS TAX ON[TILL MY LAST STINKIng breath..,confirms my long suffering..has ended in death..this/year.

to hell with you/many..who wish to tax me..unto death.
may the flithy karma..of your immoral-works/bias/hate..roc ya socks off in hell/full of\thyne own smoke

ahh men..for you moralising biggots..
who/lied..then tried to breath..their filthy bull smoke..up my arss

there is no one/with clean hands..
CONTRADICTION..OF/FACT..actualy SAID..IN..PARLEMENT[extensive]
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=4307#109664 to present its pEtition/let alone insurance underwriter who can pay the damages[back to us..4..personal hurt/INJURY..MALFEASENCE]

i notE..when the smoke companies needed to pay out[govt wowsers got it]..they got our tax..[OUR COMPO]..THEN TAX US MORE..for their adertising scams/big pharma got a patent right to price nicoteen as if drug..the filthy karma..THE mud stuck

im over it..you sin tax me to death
my teeth rotting..is a good propaganda photo/but how much..damaging my teeth cost..you..nothing

the rotted stumps are mine/yet
not one cent of..my tax..goes to fixing teeth..not one cent goes to health..

our\SMOKERS..health costs are 800 million
when govt talk treason and says 32 billion..not opne of you blink
the whole medical costs for everything is a lot less[for everything=28 billion]..mainly you diabetics and drunks[and yung punks]..and victims of crime or sport OR rort.

Haha!....

Good try, SM.

And I suppose you're going to next highlight what an absolute success the Abbott govt's first budget has been?

Perhaps you could interview it if it ever regains consciousness...being as it is on life support at the moment.

Now I have to run, must be ready for the first major clanger dropped by our illustrious dopey Prime Minister on the international stage.

The Abbott govt is the most entertaining slow-motion political train wreck I've ever witnessed.

Here you go, SM.

http://thekouk.com/blog/the-australian-s-claim-on-tobacco-go-up-in-smoke.html#.U5EGvm7XUWa.twitter

"The Australian is at it again. It is running another fact-less story with the express intent of undermining a key policy of the previous Labor government and what is disconcerting this time, is that it is pushing the line of the tobacco industry."

"The "exclusive" story based on "new data obtained by The Australian" claims that "tobacco sales volumes increased by 59 million 'sticks' ... last year". The source of this shock finding is "industry monitor" InfoView which is "backed up by retailers, consumer marketers and the industry". Only Philip Morris and the Australasian Associates of Convenience Stores are cited.

Fortunately, the story is wrong.

Consumption of tobacco and cigarettes is falling and has fallen sharply since the plain packaging rules were implemented in December 2012.

Just this week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the national accounts and buried in those accounts is a measure of the volume of household consumption of cigarettes and tobacco.

The figures from the ABS show that total consumption of tobacco and cigarettes in the March quarter 2014 is the lowest ever recorded – and this with the series starting in 1959. This is extraordinary. It is a Great Depression for tobacco sales.

Making this record low consumption of tobacco all the more fantastic is that the fact that the consumption numbers are not adjusted for population growth which, by definition, means per capita consumption of tobacco and cigarettes is also at a record low.

Making a mockery of The Australian's story is the fact that, in seasonally adjusted volume terms, consumption of tobacco is 5.3 per cent lower in the March quarter 2014 than in the December quarter 2012 when the plain packaging laws were introduced.

It seems like The Australian is pushing, in a high profile front page story, baseless information fed to it from pressure groups with a vested interest to sell more tobacco and cigarettes. With sales cascading, there are looking for any pressure to change the rules that are obviously working to reduce tobacco consumption."

More bollocks from The Austraian.

Poirot,

I remember all the left whingers telling me that my skepticism of Labor's implementation of yet another untested thought bubble was simply because I supported the tobacco industry. I take it that your complete failure to address the topic is admission that once again you all were wrong and labor stuffed up.

Once again: "I told you so" is appropriate.

As for the budget, reducing spending and increasing taxes is not popular, which seems to be the only measure that left whingers have.

Abbott already has one major policy success under his belt, and is already ahead of Juliar and Krudd.

Shadow Minister,

I take it you've since noted my specific address to the topic.

And the fact it blows your initial claims out of the water.

Lol!..."Abbott already has one major policy success under his belt.."

You and I obviously exist in parallel universes.

Have a good day.

(maybe I'll see you on twitter:)