He was referring to this article detailing how many countries are uncomfortable with Australia's absurd plain packaging legislation. Australia may face a complaint at the World Trade Organization over its decision to ban trademarks and logos on tobacco products, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.Yes. Simon Chapman, a sociologist who has posed as health expert for the past 30 years, now seems to have re-invented himself as an indisputable guru on intellectual property rights, legal intricacies, and multi-national business affairs. Well, that would be the case if he had bothered to tackle the objection rather than just 'play the man' not the ball, and throw puerile population level ad homs around.
The complaint, which says the plain-packaging law violates global intellectual-property rules, will probably be lodged with the Geneva-based trade arbiter this month, as soon as this week, said one person. At least three governments including Ukraine will be involved, said the other person. They declined to be identified because the complaint isn’t public.
Countries including Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Turkey, Zambia and Zimbabwe also say the Australian ban breaks trade rules. They have challenged Australia’s scientific evidence and said the law will unnecessarily restrict commerce because the country’s public- health goal can be met by other means.
It's funny he should class Honduras as a bunch of fruitcakes, because many might agree after reading that they made it illegal to smoke in one's own home last year, but Chapman was probably firmly behind that idea. They've committed the ultimate sin to an anti-smoker now, though - that of actually looking at evidence objectively.
Therefore they are now to be classed as a "basket case & corrupt" nation. Nice.
Similarly, Turkey have rolled out comprehensive smoking bans, large graphic warnings, and hidden packet display laws in the past few years, but they've crossed Chapman on this one lame issue so are instantly bonkers in his omnipotent eyes. I'm sure they'll be overwhelmed by the support.
I wouldn't fancy his chances much if the more, ahem, organised gang type of Turks took exception to the slight on their nation, either. Although, having said that, they might let it slide considering - as anyone who has visited Turkey can testify - they have a thriving counterfeit industry who will be thrilled at the opportunities plain packaging will afford them in reduced costs.
As for Colombia, they're growers of tobacco so probably have a vested interest, but one wonders what alternative crops Chapman would prefer Colombian farmers grow. Hmmm.
Sadly - and I mean 'sad' in the derogatory, not emotional, sense - Chapman seems to have fallen into the millennia old trap of opening one's gob to condemn other nations, without looking at his own dustbowl on the arse end of the globe.
For there is no bigger 'basket case' nation at the present time than Australia.
Quite apart from the plain packaging farce, They have banned climbing on Ayers Rock, Chinese products, free bets on betting sites, Second Life, Wikileaks at pain of an $11,000 fine, Gay web-sites, anti-abortion web-sites, and BMW adverts.
Then there's the A$8,000 penalty for possession of e-cig liquid, mandatory cycle helmet laws which have had no impact whatsoever, the terrorising of their own kids, a war on pokie machines, along with banning more video games than China, bans on bottled water, duty free tobacco, just about all adult online content and, oh yeah, small tits.
If I were Chapman, I'd be starting to get worried about that plank in his eye.
