Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

None of us want our children to take up the habit of smoking. That is why this parliament is behind the plain packaging legislation. Big tobacco has obviously been very vengeful with this government about its moves to support plain packaging. We have seen that over the last few days. The Liberal Party needs to make a turnaround on plain packaging of cigarettes and after much huffing and puffing they have decided to come on board. But they need to escape from the clutches of big tobacco, who help fill their party coffers. It is inevitable that they will kick the habit of taking money from tobacco companies. The Labor Party announced in 2004 it would on principle not take money from big tobacco, and no-one has received a dollar, including the current health minister, since. The Liberal Party by contrast—the member for Higgins should know this—has received more than $2.1 million from big tobacco. And that does not include donations to individual electorate campaigns under the disclosable limit of $10,000. Since Russell Crowe's masterful film The Insider, big tobacco has not dared give donations and try to influence other democratic countries. But in Australia big tobacco gives 97 per cent of its donations to the Liberal and National parties sitting over there. They are guilty, that is why they are squealing. And they would not give it in any other country.

Mr Tudge interjecting—

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