The following summary of the good video above is by The Good Sauce
In a world where bloated bureaucracies cling to power like a drowning man to a life raft, one libertarian voice in the New South Wales parliament has dared to call out the emperor’s naked folly. Libertarian Party MP John Ruddick’s fiery opposition to the Tobacco Legislation (Closure Orders) Amendment Bill 2025 isn’t just a policy critique—it’s a blistering indictment of big government’s stubborn ego, a pathology that turns minor mistakes into societal catastrophes. As governments double down on failed policies rather than admit error, Ruddick’s speech exposes the rot at the core: an overreaching state that breeds black markets, violence, and fear, all while starving citizens of freedom and initiative. This isn’t mere politics; it’s a moral showdown between liberty and leviathan.
Ruddick pulls no punches, likening the war on tobacco and vaping to a sequel of America’s disastrous 1920s alcohol prohibition—only this time, it’s the sixth installment, echoing failed crackdowns on cannabis and beyond. Government meddling has birthed a violent underworld, with fire bombings of tobacco shops spilling from Victoria across borders, fueled by sky-high excises that drive consumers underground. Instead of easing off the throttle, this bill pours “kerosene on the fire,” empowering authorities to shutter businesses, impose jail time, and levy crushing fines. Shop owners are caught in a vise: threatened by government closures on one side and criminal thugs guaranteeing violence on the other. It’s shameful, Ruddick declares, a spectacular failure where revenues plummet, crime surges, and the feds pocket none of the intended taxes.
Drawing from personal anecdotes, Ruddick recounts a surprising pre-election call from Labor’s Penny Sharpe, welcoming him to the “collegial” upper house—a setup for his punchline that this very building is “the most dangerous in New South Wales.” Why? Because every session swells government’s girth, weighing down the people with laws that do far more harm than good. He laments how big, bossy states spawn inefficiencies and failures, only to “patch it up with more government.” Echoing his maiden speech, Ruddick advocates for anarcho-capitalism: a phased dismantling of coercive state power over decades, replacing it with voluntary, cooperative governance like strata buildings. Sure, those have tiffs, he concedes, but they’re not enforced at gunpoint—unlike every law backed by police and military might. Citizens should be armed as a counterbalance, he insists, to prevent government’s monopoly on force.
The core problem, Ruddick stresses, is federal: Anthony Albanese’s crew, inheriting Liberal excesses, keeps excises punitively high despite evidence of surging illegal tobacco use. Premier Chris Minns briefly flirted with sanity on June 2, admitting the tax drives black markets and questioning police priorities—prompting some to whisper he wasn’t “too bad for Labor.” But Ruddick predicted a backdown, and sure enough, guts failed where talk was cheap. Minns needs to rally Labor premiers against “Albo” and halve the excise, not unleash more task forces or inquiries as suggested by crossbenchers like Rod Roberts and Jeremy Buckingham. That’s just more government bloat, the libertarian counters; slash the tax, and the problem evaporates.
This bill won’t crush criminal networks or curb consumer choice—it’ll entrench them, as high costs push smokers to cheap illicit packs. Governments can’t legislate away free will, yet they persist out of ego, unable to confess policy flops like masks or rushed vaccines that worsened COVID woes. Ruddick’s plea: reject this mess, reflect soberly, and advocate for excise cuts. It’s not partisan; it’s principled.
In the end, Ruddick’s address is a clarion call for smaller government, where errors are admitted and liberty reigns. But don’t take my word—watch the entire episode here, and see for yourself how one man’s stand against statist overreach could spark the reform we desperately need. Share if you agree: freedom demands it.
