Publications
Mark Webber right on Australian Nanny State
MEDIA RELEASE
"Mark Webber was spot on calling Australia a nanny state. But it's set to get worse as local, state and federal governments plan to tax, regulate and ban away individual choice and responsibility on every aspect of our lives", Director of the IP and Free Trade Unit at the Institute of Public Affairs, Tim Wilson, said today.
Prior to yesterday's Grand Prix Webber said "It's a great country but we've got to be responsible for our actions and it's certainly a bloody nanny state when it comes to what we can do ... (Australians have) got to read an instruction book when we get out of bed (about) what we can and what we can't do".
"The absurdity of Australia's nanny state extends to:
• the City of Stonnington introducing a 25-page booklet on how to host a community street party;
• Maroondah Council banning lemonade stands and playing with toy cars on nature strips; and
• Townsville's Belgian Gardens State School banning kids doing cartwheels", Mr Wilson said.
"And it's only going to get worse".
"Currently the Federal government is considering the National Preventative Health Taskforce report which proposes 26 new laws, 7 new bureaucracies and, all up, 122 proposals to regulate our lives".
"The Taskforce wants to introduce new taxes for food, alcohol and tobacco to discourage their consumption. Some of the most absurd proposals include putting warning labels on alcohol to tell people it can lead to intoxication and requiring cigarettes to come in plain packaging so consumers cannot tell brands apart".
"Webber's comments expose the incremental efforts by government to regulate and tax every part of our lives. The problem is governments are introducing the nanny state bit-by-bit so most Australians don't notice how far we're down the path".
"It has taken someone from outside Australia to expose just how accustomed Australians have become to governments telling us to read a rule book on how we must live our lives".
"Government thinks that it, rather than individual responsibility, is the solution to our society's problems".
"Governments need to focus on their core responsibilities rather than telling people how to live their lives".
"Life comes with risks, rewards and responsibilities. But instead of letting Australians learn for themselves governments would rather we lived our lives in cottonwool", Mr Wilson said.