Gippsland by-election targeted by alcopop makers

The hottest topic in the south-east corner of Victoria is not alcohol but water, and the lack of it. But the makers of pre-mixed spirits are trying to make the new alcopop tax an issue in the coming Gippsland by-election. They're running ads calling on the Federal Government to do away with the tax, and they admit it's a blatant attempt to use the by-election to further their cause. Observers say it's an unusual tactic on the part of a lobby group, and they doubt that it will work.