QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Mr BUTLER (Hindmarsh—Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Minister for Health and Ageing and Deputy Leader of the House) (14:43): I know this is an issue the member has taken an interest in for a while. The member talked about Labor's policy, I assume, around excise, here. To outline the details for the House, since we came to government, tobacco excise has increased by a little less than 40 per cent in all of our time.
During the time they were in government, it increased by more than 215 per cent. They trousered every single dollar. Not a single dollar went into enforcement.
Not a single dollar went into public health campaigns. What we have seen since, starting, as the member said, in the state of Victoria, is an explosion in illicit cigarettes. Contrast that complete inaction from those opposite to what we have done here, led by the Treasurer and the Minister for Home Affairs.
They increased our enforcement activity by $350 million. We've tripled the amount of stuff being intercepted at the borders. The minister said that 2.6 billion cigarettes alone just last year.
What the member said has an important point. There have been different responses by different states to this question. We've said this publicly.
All of the advocates here point out the Liberal Party government in Queensland and the South Australian government as leaders here. They have put in place additional enforcement powers for their police and other enforcement authorities to shut down the shops and to go after the landlords. You have a completely different picture in those two states than in the two big states, which, frankly, have been too slow to act.
We need them doing the same sort of thing the Queensland LNP government and the South Australian government are doing. The member talks about the law enforcement issues associated with this. Can I, as the health minister, also point out that this is our most important public health campaign.
Still more Australians die from smoking related causes than any other preventable cause. Ms Aldred interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Monash has asked her question. Mr BUTLER: I know the member has disparaged the Institute of Health and Welfare, but this is the statutory authority that has tracked smoking rates for decades in this country, and they say smoking rates are still going down.
We have a huge law enforcement issue, but smoking rates are going down. International examples of a big cut to excise of the type that the member was led to do, because One Nation led him to it, have shown smoking rates go up. Has he modelled that?
No, because he knows the answer to the question Yesterday, he admitted he didn't even model whether or not smoking rates would go up, as they did in Canada, by hundreds of thousands, particularly amongst young people. We're open to sensible ideas. We're not going to do a discounting war with organised crime, and we're not going to be led by the nose by One Nation like you are.
(Time expired) The SPEAKER: I'm just going to invite the manager to pop down that piece of paper he's got in his hand and go back to his seat. I'm not having any props. Mr Tehan: I'm seeking leave to table some documents.
Mr Burke: Leave is not granted. The SPEAKER: We'll move to the next question. No, we're not having props.
Mr Tehan interjecting— The SPEAKER: Exactly, but when someone comes up with big, colourful posters in their hands— Mr Tehan: I had them folded. The SPEAKER: Yes, I can see them from here. I'm just going to say that if you want to come to the dispatch box, you're able to do so.
That's fine. I've just got to make sure we have dignity. Mr Taylor interjecting— Mr Albanese interjecting— The SPEAKER: I'll tell you what's not helpful is the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister interjecting at the same time when I'm speaking.
Mr Taylor interjecting— The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I'm just going to ask for your assistance; cease the interjecting. There was too much yelling during that answer. To respect the dignity of the House and the office, I just ask for everyone to take a breath.
We're going to reset the House. There's far too much noise.