Useless Australian Government

I'm starting to get very tired of our AU government screwing us over with dumb export laws... recently we learned that Australians pay more for Australian gas than the Japanese do because we export it at such cheap prices. Now the other night I'm watching the news and I hear we're going to legalize exports of cannabis-based medicines and aim to become the largest exporter in the world...

The move aims to create a bigger market for locally produced medicines so that there is a more stable and secure supply for Australian patients.

It is also a shrewd business move, with ambitions for Australia to become the biggest producer of medicinal cannabis products in the world.

"This is actually a very important step for our domestic patients and our domestic supply," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

Australia aims for global domination of medicinal cannabis market

Sounds pretty good for us right, so why am I ranting? Well for a start there are only about 350 people in Australia who have access to medicinal cannabis. It is legal for medicinal use in many states, however it's only allowed to be used for end-of-life illnesses or other very severe conditions. So to claim this move has anything to do with helping domestic patients is absurd and they should be ashamed of themselves for using such sick people as political pawns. At least they admit it's a "shrewd business move", because that's exactly what it is and that's the only reason they are doing this, for the money it will bring into the government.

Let us also not overlook the hypocrisy of this, we aim to medicate the world with weed but we will barely even make it legal for ourselves. So it's perfectly fine to supply the rest of the world but once again our own population gets the short end of the stick and we get treated like little children who cannot be allowed to smoke harmless plant material but we are allowed to consume as much alcohol as we desire the moment we turn 18 years old. Lets just ignore every single piece of evidence which suggests alcohol is worse for you in every conceivable way than marijuana because who cares about logic or cold hard facts right.

It's a shame, for sure. But to be honest, I don't think anyone's government is any better.

They're all fuc#ed...

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

Couple of things, there might be a reason your government may be selling your petrol cheaper. Like beating out another provider. California, has the highest gas prices in the U.S. $3.00 per gallon # 2 , have you not heard, Jeff Sessions has had the pot deal rescinded, Obama made with the states. Of coarse nothing will be done about it. It was just legalized here in Cali, but I had my medical card for 3 years. The trump administration seems to think pot is heroin, and anyone who smokes it is a junkie...Stupid.



The U.S. went back 10 years almost a year ago.....Just saying.

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

Incidentally, I believe the original push to make it illegal in Australia came from the US attached to weapon procurement and it may have been the F111.

As such, the ban is illegal under both the Constitution of Australia and the Acts Interpretation Act.

P

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

I live in the Netherlands. Yeah, the place with the tolerant attitude, medi-weed and coffee-shops.

My ex-girlfriend got lung cancer and I told her to ask the doc for medi-weed. You have to pay for it yourself but it should be (allegedly) better quality grown in a professional facility. Quality control, cleanliness and consistency.

The Doctor refuses flatly saying he doesn't know enough about it to prescribe it for a patient even though he can. End of medi-weed story.

When things got so she couldn't drive a car anymore she gave it to me and I went to the coffeeshop for her every week. To cancer patients it can mean the difference between eating or not eating, and keeping the meal in your stomach.

It's such an evil plant. This is why most countries have banned it. For our own well-being.

a reply to: kurthall

Wow, $3 a gallon......
Here in Aus, Im paying between $1.50 to $1.75 a LITRE. Feel free to do some conversions on that and get back to us.

Also, terminology is different. When we are referring to "Gas" we are talking about natural gas, you know, not a liquid.
To us, its petrol, or even just fuel.

$3 a gallon, I wish.

a reply to: Hewhowaits

Well at least some nations have fair laws for medical and recreational use, you live in the U.S. so you should know there are several states where you can get marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. There really aren't many places in the world where marijuana is legal for recreational use, don't take it for granted.

a reply to: kurthall

The trump administration seems to think pot is heroin, and anyone who smokes it is a junkie...Stupid.

I think that's mostly just Sessions, he's a complete idiot. Based on comments Trump has made about marijuana he seems to think it should be a state decision and I agree.

originally posted by: ChaoticOrder
a reply to: Hewhowaits

Well at least some nations have fair laws for medical and recreational use, you live in the U.S. so you should know there are several states where you can get marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. There really aren't many places in the world where marijuana is legal for recreational use, don't take it for granted.

Yes, for the marijuana, the U.S. is relatively easy going.

I was referring to the general state of governance, as per our leaders(and citizens) caring more about wealth than compassion.
But to be clear, I am 100% in agreement with you. It (marijuana) should be available for the improvement of quality of life.

a reply to: kurthall

Jeff Sessions has had the pot deal rescinded, Obama made with the states

Obama couldnt have a "pot deal" with the States . The Federal laws were never rescinded and as far as power of office went , Obama could only regulate Interstate trade.
Again , what deal ?
I hope you have just learned some facts.

"Useless -insert here- Government"

I think your being selfish.. Only naming yours as useless... Most of them are useless in more ways than not.

Fellow Australian here,
It made me mad hearing that on the news too. So hypocritical! And yeah I knew about the gas thing too I have a relative that works in mining industry
and when they told me how much Japan pays per ton I almost wept lol .. we pay so much its sickening

a reply to: 1mag1ne22


this from 2015, sucks to live in Australia - but at least I'm in the west and not so cold.

www.dailytelegraph.com.au...

CHINESE consumers of Australian natural gas will pay just a third of what Aussie gas customers are being slugged because of skyrocketing prices.

Gas bills are projected to rise by 26 per cent over the next four years, according to BIS Shrapnel, adding $260 to the average bill.

But the Chinese, who negotiated a $25 billion “fantastic deal” overseen by the federal government in 2002, will pay the same low price for our gas until at least 2027.

“NSW voters have every right to know China is paying a third of what they will be paying for Australia’s natural gas,” Australian Workers’ Union national secretary Scott McDine said.

Legalise Shrooms
Legalise Weed
it's safer than alcohol

Iron Ore is mined in Australia. Shipped to China where it's smelted and exported back to Aus

Ridiculous


Australia mines and sells Uranium to other countries to use in their Nuclear Power Plants. Meanwhile Australia, the flattest most stable country on Earth with no earthquakes; doesn't have Nuclear Power. The real kicker: Australia then imports NUCLEAR WASTE back from other countries to store.

originally posted by: Artlogic
a reply to: kurthall

Wow, $3 a gallon......
Here in Aus, Im paying between $1.50 to $1.75 a LITRE. Feel free to do some conversions on that and get back to us.

Also, terminology is different. When we are referring to "Gas" we are talking about natural gas, you know, not a liquid.
To us, its petrol, or even just fuel.

$3 a gallon, I wish.

Just did the math. Feel free to double check

Petrol in US: $3.00US a gallon
1 Gallon worth in Australia is $5.67AUD@!!!

Everything is cheaper in the US and your wages are lower. Australia is more expensive but the wages are higher so it may be an "equivalent"

I hear ya. Sounds like what happens here in Aotearoa. We export meat and milk products and pay huge amounts in our supermarkets to buy our own meat. We have a chain butcher shop called the aussie butcher (nor sure who owns it) it's usually cheaper than our own meat. French butter is cheaper than our own butter. Our Marino wool is exported to China and made into icebreaker clothing which is then sold back to us at a huge cost, and its cheaper to buy icebreaker in Canada. Oh and at the moment our petrol is between $1.99 and $2.20 per litre.

a reply to: Kalixi

Looks about right to me, double the cost.....

Dont think our wages are quite that much higher, however, ill happily bet the cost of living all round is.

Legalize weed already too, tired of hearing about alcohol fuelled violence and nonsense every weekend in and outside clubs, not even going to start on domestic violence episodes, dont think ive ever seen a punch thrown at party full of pot smokers.

Funny you should say..
i am reef keeper and somthing we always talk about in reef forums is corals and fish prices in Australia. Its very very high compared to rest of the world. And most of the corals are from Australia or local surrounding.

High as in a 1 inch aussy coral frag cost about 200 dollars in Australia and the same frag cost £5 in Uk after all the temp controled air shipping and quarantine costs.

Even tho all those asian reefs are connected by water And do mix in nature, Australian government banned most of it. And end up driving coral prices so high.

I think they robbing you mate..

originally posted by: Kalixi
Australia mines and sells Uranium to other countries to use in their Nuclear Power Plants. Meanwhile Australia, the flattest most stable country on Earth with no earthquakes; doesn't have Nuclear Power. The real kicker: Australia then imports NUCLEAR WASTE back from other countries to store.

The people who have a fit over nuclear waste don't seem to realize we store everyone else's crap. Not to mention we have the worlds largest uranium reserves... there's so much potential to make our nation a powerhouse capable of thrusting us into the future but instead we're content living with a crappy grid which is constantly on the verge of failing and every summer we wonder if it will be capable of meeting energy demands. Utterly useless!