Cry me a river

In November, I mentioned that the Australian government has been pulling the funding rug from under various 'advocacy' (ie. political activist) fake charities and sock puppets. One of them is the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council, an organisation that was so dependent on taxpayers' money that when the government announced that it was defunding it, it immediately cancelled the annual conference it had been arranged for three days later.

When ADCA was set up in the 1960s, it may have done some legitimate work, but by 2013 it was just another loud mouthed, authoritarian, parasitic lobby group, as I have mentioned before...

A flick through their press releases find them accusing John Farrell, a politician, of being "beholden to booze barons" because he failed to ban discounted alcohol. "Mr O’Farrell and his henchmen are not fit to govern," they claim.

We find them writing a letter to the Prime Minister, calling for "a complete ban on alcohol advertising and sponsorship, a minimum price per alcohol unit, the requirement for one-third of alcohol labels to be reserved for health warnings, and increased alcohol taxes."

We find them cheering on the previous government's move to introduce plain packaging, saying that "no debate is needed about this legislation."

We find them saying that it is "incomprehensible" and "beyond belief" that Aldi supermarkets are allowed to sell alcohol.

Needless to say, they are not feeling quite so cocky now that the hunter has become the hunted. Indeed, they have sent a quite pathetic begging letter to the government, pleading for a reprieve...

“Defunding has essentially destroyed the organisation and with it, its representative role in the alcohol and other drugs sector. The tens of thousands of workers in the sector, ranging from researchers and academics, community organisations, treatment specialists through to carers and volunteers in rural and remote Australia are now denied a national voice…

ADCA believes that its situation should be part of the review of government expenditure by the Commission of Audit. ADCA further suggests that its funding should be restored until at least after completion of the audit, so that years of expertise and corporate knowledge are not lost…

The government’s decision will ultimately prove to be shortsighted and ill-considered. There is no clearer example of the need for an organisation like ADCA than the current situation in which Australia finds itself – a nation wallowing in alcohol with a failure of leadership to address the critical issues of price, accessibility and advertising of alcohol products.

Governments in turn rely on the threat of defunding – as has happened with ADCA – to ensure advocacy and policy groups “tame down” their rhetoric. They then wonder why there is uncertainty and instability within the sector, why service organisations and community groups fight an ongoing battle to recruit and retain staff, and why such organisations find it impossible to plan for the future.”

Even in their death throes, these vermin can't resist hyperbole about "a nation wallowing in alcohol with a failure of leadership". Clearly they have no desire to "tame down their rhetoric" so it's time to administer the coup de grace, Mr Abbott.

May the day come soon when we read similar tear-stained, panhandling pleas from the likes of Alcohol Concern, ASH, Fresh, D-MYST and Balance North East.

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