Senate debates

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Tobacco

Photo of Rachel SiewertRachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—
(a)
notes that smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and disease in Australia and places our health system under severe financial strain;
(b)
recognises that Australia has in the past been a world leader in anti-smoking initiatives;
(c)
acknowledges the important ongoing work and recent initiatives of Australian governments to reduce the burden of diseases caused by smoking, including plain packaging, advertising and point of sale bans, mass media campaigns, the Tackling Indigenous Smoking initiative and cessation support;
(d)
expresses concern at the investment of more than $100 million of taxpayers money in shares in international tobacco companies by the Commonwealth Future Fund; and
(e)
calls on the Government to review and revise investment criteria as a matter of urgency to ensure that the Future Fund is invested into ethical enterprises that are consistent with the health and wellbeing of the nation and not into tobacco.

Question negatived.

Comments

Free Mind
Posted on 4 Jun 2011 7:30 pm

Point d is outrageous.

All government investment should be socially responsible.

I can think of nothing more irresponsible to society than investing in tobacco.