Cuban legal challenge to Australian plain packaging

[Wil]

http://www.news.com.au/national-news/challenge-to-aust-plain-package-tobacco/story-fncynjr2-1226636297784

Could be good timing with the imminent change of government?

[Duxnutz]

I wonder if there's a new syndrome of suffering anxiety from all the graphic health warning?

[OZCUBAN]

Interesting article WIL but i guess it will amount to nothing ,but one can only hope ,to be honest i would rather see a drop in the horrendous TAX we pay in OZ

thanks for posting

[TheBaron]

Interesting article WIL but i guess it will amount to nothing ,but one can only hope ,to be honest i would rather see a drop in the horrendous TAX we pay in OZ

thanks for posting

X2

Ironically enough, not holding my breath.

[Wil]

Interesting article WIL but i guess it will amount to nothing ,but one can only hope ,to be honest i would rather see a drop in the horrendous TAX we pay in OZ

thanks for posting

Yep, probably right. It would be nice if the challenge coincided with Abbott being elected, and he just scrapped it. We can always dream...

[sharks]

I concur with the above posts, but it's not going to happen. It would be great to see a reduction in tax although no government is gunna let go of the golden goose. Its a great money spinner and unfortunately in my opinion its only going to get worse. I imagine next thing they hit will be alchohol.

Would be great to see the cubans kick the aussie gov's arse though

[Duxnutz]

It would be mildly ironic if the cuban legal team ending up cohesively defeating Australia's best legal muscle. I'd probably rip an abdominal muscle in giggles.

On another note, it does give me hope if all the cigar manufacturers are together on it lobbying the WTO. The WHO (World Health Organisation) would be having kittens though if tobacco had any little legal victory but they are pretty much against everything its seems these days.

[sengjc]

This is noted:

"In the event that the WTO's disputes settlement body finds in their favour, it would have the power to authorise retaliatory trade measures against Australia if the country failed to fall into line."

I wonder, what possible retaliatory trade measure can possibly be implemented...

[Fshaw]

Embargo! It's worked before right??

[DrunkenMonkey]

Retaliatory trade measures would be tariffs on Australian exports to Cuba. That's standard practice when countries are found guilty of breaking their WTO obligations and then ignore the verdict.

[Jeremy Festa]

Interesting approach

[LLC]

Cuba is the last of the three major cigar countries to challenge this.

[CanuckSARTech]

Cuba is the last of the three major cigar countries to challenge this.

LOL. You weren't expecting them to actually be first to the table for something like this, were you?!!?!?

[LLC]

LOL. You weren't expecting them to actually be first to the table for something like this, were you?!!?!?

Of course not, their on Cuban time

[CanuckSARTech]

Of course not, their on Cuban time

LOL. For sure! Since nothing is ever "official" or set in stone from them, I'm still waiting on them to release the Trinidad Robusto T's tubos...

[David67]

This will not budge the Australian Government one bit.

Sadly I forsee a time when cigars will be a thing of past in Australia. 20 years ago would you have thought we would be where we are now? What about 20 years hence?

[El Presidente]

This will not budge the Australian Government one bit.

Sadly I forsee a time when cigars will be a thing of past in Australia. 20 years ago would you have thought we would be where we are now? What about 20 years hence?

Legally, possibly.

Glass half full mate...glass half full.

[AndrewNR]

Legally, possibly.

Glass half full mate...glass half full.

If cigars are outlawed... Only outlaws will have cigars! And then how will we protect ourselves? Swashbucklers!

[sengjc]

Retaliatory trade measures would be tariffs on Australian exports to Cuba. That's standard practice when countries are found guilty of breaking their WTO obligations and then ignore the verdict.

Ok...what does Australia export to Cuba in sufficient volumes such that a tariff imposed would be significantly severe to force Australia to repeal the plain packaging law in the event of a guilty verdict?

I fear the plain packaging law is here to stay.

[DrunkenMonkey]

Ok...what does Australia export to Cuba in sufficient volumes such that a tariff imposed would be significantly severe to force Australia to repeal the plain packaging law in the event of a guilty verdict?

I fear the plain packaging law is here to stay.

Good point. I assumed there must be a good amount of stuff, but it looks like only about 7 million dollars per year total, mostly agricultural exports.

[TheBaron]

Why can't adults just be treated a such? Bloody killjoys.

[IcedCanuck]

Why can't adults just be treated a such? Bloody killjoys.

'Big brother' always seems to think he knows best.

[CaptainQuintero]

Ok...what does Australia export to Cuba in sufficient volumes such that a tariff imposed would be significantly severe to force Australia to repeal the plain packaging law in the event of a guilty verdict?

I fear the plain packaging law is here to stay.

Internationally Oz seems to trade on it's image as a happy go friendly, family land of awesome beaches and laid back folks (As their international ambassadors aka barmen/lifeguards spread this around ), maybe to those in charge, the idea of this image being tarnished by a messy legal case would be enough for them to repeal?

[David67]

Legally, possibly.

Glass half full mate...glass half full.

I know Rob, Just I know governments.

If it were not for you I would have given up cigars last year.

[Duxnutz]

Internationally Oz seems to trade on it's image as a happy go friendly, family land of awesome beaches and laid back folks (As their international ambassadors aka barmen/lifeguards spread this around ), maybe to those in charge, the idea of this image being tarnished by a messy legal case would be enough for them to repeal?

Sadly (here in NSW-east coast of Australia) there ain't much about that which is true anymore. Beaches yes but Sydney is anything but. Expensive, hostile and quickly turning into a nanny state.