STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr PASIN (Barker) (13:54): Under Labor, Australia's illicit tobacco market has become a national organised crime crisis. Criminal gangs are making billions from the illicit tobacco trade, while legitimate businesses and the community are left paying the price for Labor's failure to muscle up to these thugs. I met last Friday with the manager of the Drakes supermarket in Murray Bridge.

Our discussions reinforced what businesses right across Barker have been telling me for years: legal sales have almost disappeared while the black market flourishes. The coalition's plan will cut tobacco excise by 80 per cent, reducing the price of legal cigarettes, stopping the flow of money to criminals and destroying their black-market business model. Legitimate businesses shouldn't be forced to compete with organised criminal gangs.

Legitimate businesses comply with the law. They pay their taxes. They employ locals.

That matters enormously to communities right across this nation, including in my electorate of Barker. When a business loses tobacco customers, locals lose shifts, and, in a cost-of-living crisis, that matters. Every dollar diverted to the black market strengthens criminal gangs while weakening the businesses that keep our regional communities strong.

Our plan will protect our way of life, crush the gangs, destroy their black-market business model and fix Labor's tobacco mess.