House debates Questions without Notice

Tobacco Control

Monday, 7 September 2026 House of Representatives

Jim Chalmers

Jim Chalmers Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer

2:51 pm

When it comes to the excise, as the health minister rightly pointed out, the vast bulk of the increase in the excise happened under the former government. That's just a fact of the matter. In addition to that, we know that a whole bunch of those opposite have called for a higher excise on tobacco. When Senator James Paterson was asked why you wouldn't you cut the excise, he said: 'Because it would be a massive tax cut for big tobacco companies. I'm not sure it would be a big improvement for public health either.'

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