the-unshackled-waves-ep-176

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One of the biggest frustrations of living in Australia is easily its nanny state laws which restrict our vice and recreational behaviour because we are deemed too stupid to know what’s good for us. One organisation that is dedicated to fighting against such laws as well as other big government excesses is the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance through their subsidiary My Choice Australia. Their director of policy is Satyajeet Marar. He has appeared before parliamentary inquiries and authored submissions. His writing has appeared in News Corp publications, the Spectator Australia as well as other mainstream outlets.

I go through all the nanny state issues with Satya starting with Australia’s tobacco laws where constant increases in taxes have led to a black-market, meanwhile an effective mechanism for quitting nicotine vaping is still illegal in Australia. Alcohol is also heavily taxed which has had no affect on the level of irresponsible drinking in Australia. We look at the push to increase taxes on sugar and fat, how it would disproportionately affect the poor and how it has failed overseas. Satya gives us an update on how the Sydney lockout laws have affected the nightlife and economy of the inner city. Satya explains how from a libertarian point of view he would tackle to social problems caused by gambling.

We analyze the effect the so called gig economy has had where technology has allowed services such as Uber and Airbnb to thrive and compete with the traditional transport and accommodation industry. This includes problems it has caused such as Airbnb rentals being trashed and ask if Uber drivers are being underpaid by Australian labour standards.

We ask Satya about some other safety requirements legislated by our governments such as pool fences, children’s playgrounds as well as road rules such as speed limits and mobile phone use in cars. We finish by looking at arguably the most controversial issue in the nanny state debate that being drug use and the current policy of drug prohibition.

Links to Satyajeet Marar
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Wowser booze ban law makes parenting impossible – Herald Sun
Sugar tax lobby’s war on the working class – Daily Telegraph
Public health dogmatists putting millions at risk – The Spectator Australia

Links to Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance
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YouTube
My Choice Australia

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