Bundy bears the wrath of Roxon

As the government's war on binge drinking continues, Sam Bowring reports from the trenches.

I fear this war on booze will continue until such day as peace is forged between the brave drinkers of Australia, and the Labor Government. Until that day, please consider me your war correspondent. It certainly sounds better than 'some random angry drunk'.

The latest skirmish came when Health Minister Nicola Roxon attacked Nationals MP Paul Neville for having a poster of the Bundy Bear in his office window. She claims the poster symbolises the opposition's flippant approach to binge drinking. The problem is that we didn’t actually have a problem until Roxon decided we did, about five minutes ago. Are we supposed to second-guess the kind of posters you suddenly deem to be unacceptable? Should I pre-emptively take down all of my posters in case she suddenly decide society's woes can be blamed on the Backstreet Boys?

Roxon says the Bundy Bear is the 'only bear in the country with its whole life committed to promoting alcohol'. Um, hey Roxon – you do know that the bear is NOT REAL, don't you? What's next? Will you attack the RSPCA for not acting on the whole Tom and Jerry issue? Who are you trying to impress with this sanctimonious behaviour - Santa Claus?

Roxon's assumption that if something is associated with alcohol, it encourages binge drinking. But who's to say that the Bundy Bear isn't actually a responsible drinker? Maybe he simply has one or two to relax at the end of a long hard day of eating his young. Ever think of that, Roxon? Ever considered that it's possible to sit down for a nice, quiet Bundy and Coke with some fish caught straight from the icy, icy waters?

This IS still a free society, despite all appearances. Last time I checked, our dwindling civil liberties did still include being allowed to hang up posters of bears. Thank goodness for that, or I'd have to think of a whole new way to keep kids away from my house.