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

I thank the members who have asked these questions and I know that it is done in good faith. Certainly, after the views that I am sure I have not been the first minister to express about the other place, I did not want to be in a position in which we missed this window of opportunity to be able to pass this legislation today before question time, particularly when the Liberal opposition have made clear that they are keen to be part of this historic day. So I am going to very quickly address the questions that have been raised, noting that they are ones that we are quite comfortable to have ongoing discussion with the opposition about.

I do believe with the new changed time frames that small business not only have the opportunity and notice far in advance now of when these changes come into effect but also the change dates from when a manufacturer can stop producing non-compliant products to when they have to be sold in the retail facility has now increased with this change. It has gone from six weeks to two months. So it does actually mean that the flush-through has a longer period of time. It will require, of course, attention being paid by both the manufacturers and retailers in the ordering practice when you get close to that period of time for the change. But they will have more than 12 months notice that this is coming. I am comfortable to talk more closely with the opposition about any particular proposals they have. I recall from my earlier briefings that there would be problems with a moratorium as such, in that we would probably need a legislative base to do that, which I do not think is being proposed. But I am happy to take that on notice and look into it further.

I understand that the member for Boothby today asked us again to consider these track-and-trace provisions. I think when we were debating the matter in the House previously there was a suggestion that this was already an accepted international practice, when I think the negotiations about the broader international approach that should be taken is still ongoing. We are very conscious that as a government we do not endorse tobacco products. We do not believe that we should be in the business of in any way misleading people that tobacco is safe. We do fear that a number of the track-and-trace provisions would be ones where the government would need to give an imprimatur to a particular product and we would not be interested in pursuing something that might mislead people.

I also very much welcome the member for Dickson's questions about Indigenous smoking—an area in which I also know the member for Hasluck has a keen interest. I do want to urge those opposite, though, to understand that the intensive work being done by our Aboriginal health workers and tobacco workers is very hands-on, very much out in the field, very focused on individual families and communities. I do not think calling those people 'bureaucrats' actually is doing credit to the type of work that they are doing to change practice within the communities. But, again, I think that is a good area where we can continue to work together.

I really thank the House. I think Australians can all be proud that we are leading the world with this measure and I hope that it means that we will see our smoking rates continue to drop.

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