The Faerie trap draws tighter...
One significant step closer in my crusade to uphold the sacred laws of our country against corrupt and incompetent government officials.
I rang Customs Siezure dept. to confirm they received my claim that I faxed in last night. They had, but Ingvar displayed a very simple understanding of the legislation and said that it contained oil of wormwood ergo required a TGA permit.
I rang Matt at the TGA (Restricted goods dept.) and he confirmed my understanding that as Absinthe was not a medicinal product they weren't interested, it was a Food Standards matter.
Then I had to get Ingvar to call Matt and hear it from the almighty TGA permit dispenser himself. He rang me back about 10 minutes later, and there was blood in the water. He informed me that he had passed on the TGA advice and referred my claim back to the officer who originally seized the magical magnum. When I asked him why he was passing the buck, he told me that it wasn't his job to make decisions, he was only responsible for overseeing legal compliance {!!! WTF? Does everyone see the reasons that is SO rediculous?}
So I rang back Hugh {said seizure officer} but he had already gone home for the day. Assuming it was a simple case of ineptitude he should feel suitably chastised and release the bottle promptly {after the appropriate paperwork delay of course}.
However if he gets really petty and spiteful {as some beurocrats can... especially if he was looking forward to the drink at the christmas party} he might try to hit me up for proof of the thujone content. In that case I will argue the onus is on them to prove that it exceeds the standard, and they are not allowed to use my bottle in the testing. As it is a packaged standard product they can obtain one themselves to test.
The other petty thing they could do is charge me import duty...
Absinth.com informed me that Sebor contains 8 mg/kg - comfortably under the limit of 10 mg/kg. But it is not an official source. The game continues but is going my way.
God I'm going to enjoy this bottle.
I rang Customs Siezure dept. to confirm they received my claim that I faxed in last night. They had, but Ingvar displayed a very simple understanding of the legislation and said that it contained oil of wormwood ergo required a TGA permit.
I rang Matt at the TGA (Restricted goods dept.) and he confirmed my understanding that as Absinthe was not a medicinal product they weren't interested, it was a Food Standards matter.
Then I had to get Ingvar to call Matt and hear it from the almighty TGA permit dispenser himself. He rang me back about 10 minutes later, and there was blood in the water. He informed me that he had passed on the TGA advice and referred my claim back to the officer who originally seized the magical magnum. When I asked him why he was passing the buck, he told me that it wasn't his job to make decisions, he was only responsible for overseeing legal compliance {!!! WTF? Does everyone see the reasons that is SO rediculous?}
So I rang back Hugh {said seizure officer} but he had already gone home for the day. Assuming it was a simple case of ineptitude he should feel suitably chastised and release the bottle promptly {after the appropriate paperwork delay of course}.
However if he gets really petty and spiteful {as some beurocrats can... especially if he was looking forward to the drink at the christmas party} he might try to hit me up for proof of the thujone content. In that case I will argue the onus is on them to prove that it exceeds the standard, and they are not allowed to use my bottle in the testing. As it is a packaged standard product they can obtain one themselves to test.
The other petty thing they could do is charge me import duty...
Absinth.com informed me that Sebor contains 8 mg/kg - comfortably under the limit of 10 mg/kg. But it is not an official source. The game continues but is going my way.
God I'm going to enjoy this bottle.