Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

Tobacco has caused immeasurable harm and costs countless lives in this country. We can't stand by and allow another generation of people to be lured into addiction and suffer the enormous health, economic and social consequences. Together with the strong measures that we're taking against vaping, these reforms, which will pass the parliament today I hope, will help us keep pace with the cynical marketing strategies of big tobacco. Simply put, the laws passed today will save Australian lives.

Australia now has the legislation in place to underpin our renewed fight against tobacco and to protect the next generation from the devastating impacts of smoking. The passage of this bill returns Australia to its place as a world leader in tobacco control. I want to thank a range of the senators for amendments to the bill that is before the House now. I want to thank Senator Pocock, Senator Steele-John and the Greens party for their engagement, as well as other senators for their support. I also want to thank Senator Ruston for her constructive amendments to the tobacco legislation and her willingness to continue Australia's world-leading tobacco reforms. We look forward to working with the opposition, and I look forward to working with the shadow minister, Senator Ruston, and the crossbench as we introduce vaping legislation in the new year.

The government has also worked closely with tobacco control and public health experts to ensure that we have the best possible protections in place. At the risk of singling some people out in a very vast group of terrific public health experts, I do want to thank the Cancer Council—especially the leadership shown by Tanya Buchanan—Professor Emily Banks, the Australian Council on Smoking and Health and the Public Health Association of Australia for their tireless advocacy. I assure the parliament that the government will move quickly to finalise new regulations to support the reforms in the bill. I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

See this speech in context