Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I had to check the calendar this morning to make sure it wasn't 1 April because I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when the Labor member for Bruce introduced the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026 or, as I like to refer to it, the 'combating illicit tobacco (a problem we created and ignored for four years) bill 2026'. For four years I have stood right here and in the other place and warned this government about the illegal tobacco and vaping trade in this country. Have they listened? Absolutely not. This bill, which isn't worth the paper that it is written on, addresses none of the root causes of the problem that we are facing. I have provided the solutions on a platter. As a former detective in the drug enforcement agency, I have provided to the other side the solutions to this problem.

This bill does nothing. It tinkers around the edges of penalties. Nobody's being prosecuted for this. There have been a handful of court cases in the last four years. I guarantee you cannot walk down your main street without passing at least one, if not several, of these pop-up tobacconists that are selling illicit tobacco under the counter or vapes, which are apparently illegal in this country although you see everybody standing on corners smoking them, particularly in this place, Parliament House. You cannot walk down your main street without seeing these pop-up stores. I get calls from parents and emails from businesses about these pop-up stores and about the disruption and the concern that people in our communities have—not just because they're selling illegal products but because of the damage they are doing to our society.

I saw an extremely disturbing figure in recent times—that is, smoking rates have increased for the first time in 30 years. More disturbing than that is that the people who are taking it up, more than ever, are children under 18 because they can get access to it.

We don't need to tinker around the edges of penalties. The courts need to slam those who do get prosecuted, but we have to get to the prosecution stage. So what do we need to do? We need to develop a strategy that supports the law enforcement agencies, and we need an agency that has direct sight of these people, these criminals who are bringing these products into Australia. I'll talk more about these criminals in a moment.

We have seen excise on tobacco go down by about $5 billion in one financial year. If we had a proper regime and legalised vapes, we would see another $7 billion in excise and there would be quality control. We wouldn't see garbage coming in from China—we don't know what's in that.

These people who are importing are criminals of the worst kind, and the money that they earn is supporting sex slavery, serious drug offences and terrorism. So to put a rubbish piece of legislation on the table is an insult not only to this parliament but to the Australian people. I will happily work with the other side to ensure that illegal vapes and illegal tobacco are wiped out and that that business model is destroyed, because the Australian people deserve better.