Fielding to decide fate of alcopops tax

The fate of the government's alcopops tax hike falls to one "impossible" senator,
Family First's Steve Fielding, the Greens say.
The senator, who holds the balance of power in parliament's upper house with the
five Australian Greens and independent Nick Xenophon, is under fire from his
crossbench colleagues.
Greens leader Bob Brown said he had not held talks with Senator Fielding about the
government's bill to validate its 70 per cent alcopops tax hike, which needs
crossbench support after the opposition vowed to vote against it.
Senator Brown said he was mindful Senator Fielding was elected to parliament thanks
to a Labor Party preference deal in Victoria at the 2004 federal election.
"I have found it quite impossible (to talk with Senator Fielding) in the past and
it's been no different now," he told reporters, adding the senator needed to be more
communicative.
"You can't get a good outcome (unless) ... the flow of information is open."
Senator Brown said crossbench senators had used the power of the Senate responsibly
to gain concessions from the government.
After the crossbench senators - minus Senator Fielding - convened an angry press
conference late on Monday and deplored the government's "disdain" for their
proposals, Health Minister Nicola Roxon caved into their demands on Tuesday.
If the bill passes the Senate, the government will move to make health warnings on
all alcohol and alcohol advertising mandatory.
Senator Brown heralded the mandatory health warnings as an end to self-regulation of
the alcohol industry.
The government has also agreed to invest $50 million in initiatives including an
alcohol helpline and a $25 million sponsorship fund, which will allow sporting
organisations and cultural groups to apply for money in place of alcohol funding.
Greens senator Rachel Siewert said: "This is the first step to decoupling alcohol
sponsorship and sports and the requirement of sports clubs to basically go to
alcohol manufacturers in order to support their sporting activities."
It is understood Ms Roxon will not give in to Senator Fielding's demand to ban
alcohol advertising during sports programs.
But the government has agreed to make adherence to the alcohol advertising code
mandatory, rather than voluntary.
It has agreed to tighten rules to ensure alcohol manufacturers cannot make ads
targeted at underage drinkers.
Ms Roxon used question time in parliament on Tuesday to attack Opposition Leader
Malcolm Turnbull over the coalition's stance against the alcopops legislation.
"If this measure is not passed we will have teenage girls and teenage boys again
able to buy alcopops for pocket-money prices," she said.
"What sort of moral compass does the leader of the opposition have?"
The Senate is expected to vote on the alcopops bill on Tuesday night.