FFS - Are we still talking about this?

Tampons and sanitary pads here to stay as ‘luxury items’ in Australia, after the Greens senate move to slash the tampon tax was blocked by Labor and the Coalition. While there’s been debate whether it was just a political stunt on the part of the Greens, the question remains the same:

Why are tampons and sanitary items STILL labelled as ‘luxury items’?

The tax on sanitary items has been an ongoing debate since the products were deemed ‘non-essential’ and a ‘luxury’ item under the Howard government.

It’s estimated that women are spending over $300 million on ‘non-essential’ items EVERY SINGLE YEAR, which means alone they contribute about $30 million to the GST’s bottom line. Greens senator Larissa Waters who moved to axe the tax argued that women were being taxed simply ‘for existing’.

Mia Klitsas, the founder of Moxie tampons, weighed in on the debate, saying that ‘our government can and should be doing so much more for women’s sexual and menstrual health’.

Mia stated that not only should the government be doing more to provide free sanitary items for those at risk, but it’s about time they accepted that ‘tampons are a necessity – to argue that they’re not is effectively saying that women can ‘bleed freely’. Doubt our pollies would like that very much…’

As for us at Health Lab, unless they come bedazzled with diamonds and handed to us on a silver platter by a tall, dark and handsome man with an accent, we refuse to believe that tampons are any more ‘luxurious’ than sunscreen or condoms*.

In the words of Carrie Bickmore, ‘Get it done, it’s 2017!’

*Which by the way, are both classified under the GST health exemption.