Fielding, govt in deadlock over alcopops

Negotiations between a key crossbench senator and the Rudd government over the
alcopops legislation have become deadlocked.
The Rudd government increased the excise on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages by 70
per cent last April.
It needs to get supporting legislation through parliament by next Thursday or risk
having to return the hundreds-of-millions of dollars in extra tax collected to
distillers.
Family First's Steve Fielding is one of seven crossbench senators whose support the
government needs to get the bill passed, as the opposition has indicated it will
vote against it.
The senator told AAP on Thursday that Health Minister Nicola Roxon was considering
his proposal to put health warning labels on bottles of alcohol and closing the
"crazy" loophole that allows advertisements for alcohol during sporting programs at
anytime of the day.
"If the government hasn't moved on these issues I'm reluctantly being forced into a
position of not being able to support the tax beyond six months," Senator Fielding
said.
"Family First will be moving ahead with its intention to move a sunset clause that
gives the government six months to attack and address this issue (binge drinking)
beyond just a tax grab."
But a spokesman for the minister said the government was not considering any
restrictions on alcohol advertising times.
He would not comment on whether health warning labels were being considered or
whether or not the government would agree to Senator Fielding's planned amendment to
the legislation, which would see it expire in six months.
Senator Fielding said the government had to do something that would effectively
tackle Australia's binge drinking culture.
"Hiking up tax on one product is not addressing the culture of binge drinking and
it's nothing but a blatant tax grab," he said.
"You can't hide behind it and say it's doing something for binge drinking."
He said he would be left with no option but to vote the legislation down if the
government did not agree to his suggestions around labelling and advertising, or the
six-month sunset clause.
"The government is leaving me no other choice," Senator Fielding said.
He will meet with Ms Roxon again on Monday.
The Senate will consider a committee report from an inquiry into the legislation
before voting next week.