4 April 2013

Zed agin plastic bag compliance

| johnboy
Join the conversation
12
plastic bags

Liberal Cost of Living Shadow Minister Zed Seselja has made an effort to earn his pay while running for the Senate and asked why the Government spent a whole $61,000 on plastic bag compliance.

To this end he’s waving around an answer to a question on notice (which we note was asked by Assembly newcomer Giulia Jones):

The true cost of enforcing the ban was revealed in a question taken on notice during annual reports hearings.

“The ACT Labor Government has wasted $61,000 of taxpayers’ money enforcing a ban that they still can’t prove has any benefit,” said Mr Seselja.

“I am frustrated that the ACT Government focused their inspections primarily on small businesses including butchers, delicatessens, newsagencies and small local supermarkets.”

“This is yet another example of the ACT Labor Government tying up small business with excess regulation and inspection. We should be encouraging these businesses to grow, not wasting their time looking at what kind of bags they give their customers.”

“This ban continues to cause inconvenience for small businesses and shoppers with little or no environmental gain. The small businesses that were not compliant risk a fine of up to $27,500, which is wildly out of kilter with the ‘offence’ or the real needs of the community,” concluded Mr Seselja.

On the other hand if a business can’t use the right bags what other standards are they blissfully ignorant of?

Join the conversation

12
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

I guess Zed is trying to get into Abbot’s good books by being anti-environment.

gungsuperstar10:15 am 05 Apr 13

$61k for a highly visible reminder of environmental issues facing us? It’s nothing! Does anyone really care? And for a wannabe Senator, is this really all this chump has to whinge about? Sounds like a token effort to look like he’s still someone focused on the electorate that voted for him last year.

Yes, the inability to reuse plastic bags causing loose garbage to blow down the street every rubbish day could be seen as an ugly intended consequence – but people have adjusted to the plastic bag ban. You can see it ever time you go to the shop.

So given it’s implemented, it’s effective, and people have already adjusted their behaviour – why the hell would you waste anyones time with this as a policy? People DON’T CARE!

Guess he has to say something now and then while he sits in Abbott’s waiting room.

enrique said :

The majority of people in the ACT have agreed to get rid of the things and yet he’s still chasing the issue for some bizarre reason.

Yet amazingly, I’m yet to meet a single person in favor of the ban. People are also actually buying more than enough plastic bin liners now to make up for the lack of free bags. Lets not bullshit. This ban has not reduced the volume of plastic bags going to landfill one tiny bit. The only sensible option would have been to ban bags which are not quickly bio degradable.

This does however seem like an odd thing to be chasing for the bloke who is supposed to be keeping an eye on the cost of living.

b2 said :

A ban on Zed might be the next best move.

That’d be $61k well-spent.

Assuming Zed researches things before he comments on them, it is very concerning that he would seek to actively go against resolving the known environmental issues associated with the thin plastic bags. The majority of people in the ACT have agreed to get rid of the things and yet he’s still chasing the issue for some bizarre reason.

http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/waste/plastic-bags/
http://plasticbags.planetark.org/about/environment.cfm
http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/bags/
http://www.ephc.gov.au/taxonomy/term/54
http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/waste/plastic-bags/challenge.html
http://www.cleanup.org.au/PDF/au/cua_plastic_bags_fact_sheet.pdf
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/cleanup-volunteers-want-national-ban-on-bags/2008/03/02/1204402265335.html

A good small business owner is probably better off under the ban because shoppers are now accustomed to purchasing the new thicker bags from around 10c each and re-using them. In other words, the small business owner that passes on the cost of the new bags now has reduced their overhead costs and is financially better off under the ban – they’re no longer giving away thousands of bags to the shoppers at their own expense.

Passing on the true cost (i.e. both environmental externality plus actual dollar cost) to the consumer is economics 101. It encourages efficient markets and makes individuals accountable for their own impact. The fact that a budding politician doesn’t understand this is also worrying.

A politician actively pushing a known environmentally damaging policy (i.e. overturn the bag ban) has got rocks in their head in this day an age.

HiddenDragon said :

Doubtless the $61,000 could have been better spent, but in his current role, and with an eye to the role to which he aspires, Zed might be wise to raise some of the more significant cost of living issues facing Canberrans.

A good start might be insurance premiums – including third party motor premiums, and building and contents insurance premiums, with some observers suggesting that Canberrans are being gouged. Annoying and all as the plastic bag ban might be, it would be refreshing to hear a public figure who lives on a nice, comfortable, regularly increased, six figure salary speak as if they actually understand the pressures faced by those who are not doing quite so well.

What are you talking about? As ‘Cost of Living Shadow Minister’, those nasty plastic bags (and their ban!) are exactly the thing he needs to be focused on! After all, we all know the ‘ban’ on plastic bags is what is hurting ‘working families’ the most ATM. Hahahaha!
He’s just sticking up for all the Tuggers folk who voted him in to look after them. Oh, wait….. 😉

Come-on JB, admit it…

You started this thread just to entice Mr G out of his self imposed exile didn’t you? You know you miss him.

Maybe if I mention a certain WIN sports presenter it might lure him back.

HiddenDragon10:53 pm 04 Apr 13

Doubtless the $61,000 could have been better spent, but in his current role, and with an eye to the role to which he aspires, Zed might be wise to raise some of the more significant cost of living issues facing Canberrans.

A good start might be insurance premiums – including third party motor premiums, and building and contents insurance premiums, with some observers suggesting that Canberrans are being gouged. Annoying and all as the plastic bag ban might be, it would be refreshing to hear a public figure who lives on a nice, comfortable, regularly increased, six figure salary speak as if they actually understand the pressures faced by those who are not doing quite so well.

I might suggest a bag on Zed’s head

“LABOR DINOSAURS STUCK IN THE PAST ON PLASTIC BAGS”

Heh, that’s the Tasmanian Liberals’ press release before the last tassie election.

“Only the Tasmanian Liberals have the leadership and vision to deliver the real change that Tasmania needs and make Tasmania plastic bag free within two years.”

A ban on Zed might be the next best move.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.