Social Liberties Policy

Abolish the Tobacco and Alcohol Excise Taxes

The ostensible logic behind excise taxes on products like tobacco and alcohol have always been to help fund education and healthcare for those suffering from illness caused by such substances and wean others off the substances. MMT says that using excise taxes to “fund programs” is ridiculous, though it does acknowledge the potential use of excise taxes for the last point of weaning others off substances.

However, at least in the case of tobacco, this obsession with excise taxes has caused a black market crisis which has grown out of control, led to violent gang wars in cities, and has reversed any benefit the excise tax once held. A solution is offered to simply lower the tobacco excise tax, but why should the government be dictating to people what they can and cannot consume and how much they should be financially punished for their decision.

The Eureka Party supports the abolition of both the tobacco and alcohol excise tax, as well as the decriminalisation of tobacco cultivation and alcohol brewing for personal use.

Decriminalisation of Recreational Cannabis

Cannabis is often referred to as a “gateway drug” promoting uptake or harder, more severe illicit substances. However, it is so because it is illegal and has been pushed underground. It’s time to recognise that paternalism often does more harm than good.

The Eureka Party supports the full decriminalisation of recreational cannabis possession, consumption and cultivation for personal use, nationwide, with regulations in place preventing the sale of homegrown cannabis and regulation for commercial growers and sellers.