MATTERS OF URGENCY

Senator STEELE-JOHN (Western Australia) (16:51): Now, if we are serious about tackling the illegal tobacco sector in this country we need solutions based on evidence, not political posturing. The Australian Greens believe that the illicit tobacco market must be tackled decisively. We support stronger enforcement, better data sharing, tighter supply chain controls, tougher penalties, and, importantly, a national track-and-trace system to stop illegal tobacco from entering the market in the first place.

But we strongly reject the idea that the answer is as simple as making legal tobacco cheaper. Some members in this place have just participated in a Senate inquiry into illegal tobacco. As a member of that committee, I heard evidence first-hand, and the evidence presented to that inquiry simply does not show that lowering the cost of tobacco taxes would reduce the illicit market.

In fact, experts warned us clearly that tobacco excise reductions would likely see an increase in the illicit market and would, in fact, see big tobacco companies make millions more in profit from the death of Australians. Let's be absolutely clear what is actually going on here. This is an argument being run primarily by a party who, according to the latest donations data, took no less than $137,000 from Philip Morris and a further $88,000 from American British Tobacco, and who are now in here advocating for a reduction in the tax paid by those same corporate merchants of death.

The illicit tobacco issue in Australia must be tackled. Doing the bidding of corporations that profit from the death of Australians cannot— (Time expired)