(relatively low stakes, as in like not 9/11 or JFK level)
Mine: plastic straw (and now plastic cutlery) ban initiatives are directly funded by petrochemical companies. Plastic straws are one of the most common and useful types of disposable plastic an average American encounters every day, so banning them causes people a huge inconvenience and tarnishes the idea of other green initiatives (that might have actual teeth) as more nanny state "not allowed to have this"-ery (also has the side effect of making gullible libs think they're actually doing something to help the planet by using a reusable straw while they get their plastic container of meat products)
The story I've heard is that it was lobbied against during the formation of medicare by "big dental" (i'm doing air quotes with my fingers as I type this), I think it was an cth post so hopefully someone from Aus crossed over and can explain further.
Oh no, just found out it was Gough all along!
For real though, looks like "big medical" hated Medicare from day one, doctors and dentists. Gough looked like he picked his battle hoping things would open up in the future.
"hoping things would open up in the future.", 6 years on, no one tell his grave