We are working on a brand new version of the game! If you want to stay informed, read our blog and register for our mailing list.
Bill: Tobacco Deregulation Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: Vanuku Nationalists Party
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: February 2584
Description[?]:
| The sale, purchase and consumption of Tobacco will hence after this bill being past be totally deregulated, regardless of age. The federal government shall in no way intervene in the manner in which Tobacco is sold to the public. Regulation of Tobacco shall be determined by State/ local government. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Sale of tobacco products.
Old value:: Only adults may purchase tobacco.
Current: There are certain restrictions on the sale of tobacco and only adults may purchase tobacco.
Proposed: There are no regulations on the sale of tobacco.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 16:19:10, May 26, 2008 CET | From | Vanuku Sinatranoan Party | To | Debating the Tobacco Deregulation Act |
| Message | Alphonse Pinchino, Leader of the Vanuku Sinatranoan Party, addresses the Grand Council. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I draw you attention to the Vanuku Nationalists Party's latest attempt at coherent legislation. One would hope, with further practice, it might improve." (Chuckles from the Chamber.) "The Nationalists feel that the will of the citizens of Vanuku, via their elected members, is wrong. Vanuku decided that adulthood would be deemed from the age of 18 years of age, with all the rights, responsibilities, and requirements - such as National Service - that such a coming-of-age expected. "So a major issue such as smoking, with all its health ramifications and addictive issues, is suddenly deemed capable of being objectively decided upon by any minor whatsoever? "Can the Nationalists seriously expect that a six year old child understands completely what he or she is doing to themselves as they suck on a "legally" purchased cigarette? Never mind legality, what about morality? An eight year old child starts smoking because he thinks Dad looks cool. What eight year old is earning enough money to support a two-packs-a-week habit? Especially when the cost is inflated by the Nationalists' cute little 1 VAN tax. Surely our youth is stealing money from his mother's purse, her father's wallet, the neighbour's petty cash tin, the church's offatory? "And to say that no tobacco is grown in Vanuku is naïve, given the semi-legal self-grown market flourishing out there. "More importantly, the token effort to fund 1 VAN per kilo of tobacco imported, with proceeds going to Health Care. Wow, smoke yourself to a debilitating cancerous death from an addiction you developed when too young to know better, and feel secure that every kilo you smoked away at exhorbitant cost is paying for the drugs to erase the pain as you slowly slip away hacking up black phlegm on your deathbed!" (Gasps and mutterings from the Chamber.) "Why, fellow Members, are we taxing people that we might "save" them through health care later on... or at least ease their passing? Is prevention suddenly not better than cure? By all means, oh Nationalists, create a 1 VAN taxation per kilo of tobacco. But surely our youth should be accorded the chance to learn of the dangers of our brave new world, before we dangle them tantalisingly in front of them? "Thank you." |
| Date | 17:02:13, May 26, 2008 CET | From | Vanuku Nationalists Party | To | Debating the Tobacco Deregulation Act |
| Message | My learned members of the Council, and members of the Sinatranoan Party, how it seems we have become a nanny state. Members of the council we all know the sins of smoking, we all know it’s bad we all know it can lead to death, or worse a bad cough but we also know that Government is not in the business of babysitting. (here, here from the Nationalists members) Cars kill people, do we ban them? (murmurs from the Councils) “Food kills people as well, does Mr. Pinchino wish to cut breakfast out of the Vanuku diet? To all those underage I would assume. (humble laughs from Nationalists members) “Tobacco should be unregulated because there is no reason to regulate it, “You don’t need a reason to make something legal u need a reason to make it illegal” If a citizen wants to smoke then they will smoke, laws will not halt them and surely neither will Mr. Pinchino.” “This country is based on common freedoms, The Sinatranoan scare campaign to overburden the average Vanuku with “don’t do’s” and “Can’t do’s” is undermining that freedom. The freedom of Choice, freedom of expression.” “Mr. Pinchino is caring about the children. And we support him on that, children are our future and the future of this nation. But a child doesn’t look to there Government, they look to there mothers, father, and Family. That is were this burden of responsible lies not with this Council or with the shop keep but the Guardians of that Child” (here, here cry the Nationalists members of the council) We are not a nanny state members of the council, choice lies with the individual. |
| Date | 21:08:54, May 26, 2008 CET | From | Vanuku Freedom Party | To | Debating the Tobacco Deregulation Act |
| Message | "This law, if I understand it correctly, would still permit the federal states to regulate the transport, advertisement, and sale of tobacco. In this case, the Vanuku Freedom Party would support the proposed legislation; while we do not all necessarily agree that tobacco should be unregulated, we are all in agreement on that point that its regulation should be determined at the state level." |
| Date | 01:20:39, May 28, 2008 CET | From | Vanuku Sinatranoan Party | To | Debating the Tobacco Deregulation Act |
| Message | Mr. Alphonse Pinchino, Leader of the Vanuku SInatranoan Party, addresses the Grand Council: "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Grand Council, first off I'd like to thank the Vanuku Nationalists Party for warming up the Chamber this morning with that refreshing blast of hot air. But the best way to warm up is to exercise, and so I'd like to lay down the trail of breadcrumbs of knowledge to lead the Nationalists out of the dark forest they have found themselves happily lost in. "Of course, given their well-known preoccupation with food, they'll probably just eat the breadcrumbs and remain lost! But as I said before, we shall just have to exercise ... patience with them!" (Grumblings from the Nationalists.) "It's all right, Freddy, we break for lunch soon." (Mr. Alfred Horsenall looks scandalised.) "Now, let's dispel some of these ridiculous comments bandied about just before. Cars do kill people, my dear Nationalists, but I know we don't ban them. But by the same token, I haven't seen you propose laws allowing underage citizens to go out driving by themselves. Why? Surely you should be proposing that ten year-olds can go driving solo, because apparently - and I quote - "a child doesn’t look to their Government, they look to their mothers, father, and family." Excellent, the ten year-old can kill the entire family by jumping behind the wheel, including the deaths of their father and, presumably, at least two of their mothers." (Chuckles from around the Chamber.) "I know, I know, clearly the Nationalists are citing some sort of Mormon marriage arrangement as the template for this law, but at least now you see that they are happily lost in that forest. "Food does kill people too, and I'd like to thank the Nationalists for their suggestion of cutting breakfast out of the diets of our young. But it is a bit silly, isn't it? I mean, how many children are going to access a bowl of cereal big enough to drown in? How many children are going to be strangled by the spaghetti on toast? Be assaulted by bacon and eggs? What is this, breakfast with attitude? "Seriously, the reason we are more concerned about a child driving on a highway, and less concerned about a child lighting up a ciggie, is because a child will only start to suffer from lung cancer many years later, with most of the damage taking place internally, where no one can see. Whereas when a child drives at 120 klicks an hour into an oncoming train, the results are immediate, spectacular, and incredibly gruesome and gory. "When the current legislation was passed in the Tobacco Regulation Reform back in 2545, the Nationalists argued against it on the following grounds: "'We believe in an open market place. Tobacco is a major Industry and cutting its sales will hurt Vanuku Farmers. Having it legal doesn't encourage its usage and making it illegal will add extra problems with cost to business and time to law enforcement.' (http://80.237.164.51/particracy/main/viewbill.php?billid=179627) "Nationalists, if restricting tobacco sales to adults wouldn't encourage its use, why were you concerned about sales being cut? At what point do we as lawmakers become more concerned by industry, sales figures, and the cost of law enforcement, than we are by helping to protect our young until such time as they can make their own informed choices? Is the health of our nation such a trivial concept? "I'd like to point out to Council that the Nationalists lack credibility on this issue. When we voted successfully to ban all recreational drugs from Vanuku in the Drugs Are Bad, M'kay? Act of 2568, the only Party to vote against was... (taps out a drumroll on the lectern) ... the Nationalists! "Let's give them a big hand, folks. The Tobacco and the Drugs lobbyists certainly keep their loyalty well-bought!" (Angry shouts echo around the Chamber.) "And so, a last scattering of the breadcrumbs. Our esteemed peers, the Nationalists, have forgotten the most powerful influence in an adolescent's life. Can you guess, oh peers? Can you see the answer peering at you? That's right: Peer group pressure! It doesn't matter what Mum and Dad say, doesn't matter what those unhip teachers tell you ... your mates reckon your not cool 'cos you don't smoke. "The current legislation does not make underage smoking illegal. What it does do is give those Mums and Dads the power to decide what is best for their child. If they feel their child is informed enough at their age to start smoking, then they can purchase and supply the tobacco to them. Nothing in the law prevents that, and that is what makes it good law. A law which balances the need to protect against negative influences, and the rights of citizens to make informed choices. "On a final point, could I please invite Mr Ludwig Von Draek II of the Council of Liberal Conservatives to make comment? As the Minister for Health and Social Services, I hope he can throw a few crumbs into the debate and help out the Nationalists. Because I'm afraid I haven't seen such an array of wide eyes and gaping mouths since I fed my son's goldfish yesterday!" |
subscribe to this discussion - unsubscribe
Voting
| Vote | Seats | |||
| yes | Total Seats: 50 | |||
| no | Total Seats: 45 | |||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: If your "Bills under debate" section is cluttered up with old bills created by inactive parties, report them for deletion on the Bill Clearouts Requests thread: http://forum.particracy.net/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4363 |
| Random quote: "I'm not a leftist; I'm where the righteous ought to be." - M.M. Coady |