Laura Smyth (La Trobe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister update the House on the government's plans for plain packaging for tobacco products and how these plans have been received?

Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for La Trobe for her question. We on this side of the House know that big tobacco spends millions and millions of dollars crafting their packaging to make it attractive and appealing, particularly to new smokers. In a world first, we are committed to removing the last legal avenue to advertise tobacco products in Australia. From next year, tobacco will be sold in plain packaging with stronger health-warning information. We know big tobacco is going to fight this every step of the way. They have said that their sales will drop, that their profits will drop and that other countries are going to be watching what we are going to do. Tobacco companies have told us that this is going to lead to Australia being overrun by crime gangs, that more kids will take up smoking and that they will be forced to slash their prices.

When you are up against this sort of hogwash from big tobacco, you need to have some guts and you need to not wimp out under pressure. Unfortunately, the Leader of the Opposition has not shown whether he has got that strength of character. Last week he seemed to be cowed by big tobacco executives. In an almost exactly uniform chorus with the CEO of British American Tobacco, the Leader of the Opposition repeated the same scaremongering. The Leader of the Opposition, I am afraid I have to report to the House, is acting like the parliamentary arm of big tobacco. He is sticking up for big tobacco in the same way he is sticking up for big polluters. It seems to me that he is finding it very hard to say no to such a big donor to the Liberal Party. But there are some members of the coalition who have the strength of character to stand up for the health of Australians. The member for Moore, Dr Washer, was quoted on this subject in the Age newspaper on the weekend. I quote from the article for any members on this side of the House who perhaps did not see the quote. Dr Washer said:

The tobacco industry is jumping up and down because they're worried about their businesses. I support these reforms unequivocally and whatever my party decides to do, I don't give a—

I think, Mr Speaker, that the next word might not be parliamentary, although it was reported in the Ageit rhymes with 'hit'. The Leader of the Opposition now needs to show the same backbone that some on his backbench are showing. Our government is prepared to lead the world. It is about time Mr Abbott started leading the coalition.