Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government is committed to protecting Australians and their health, and we're taking strong action on the reduction of smoking and vaping through legislation, enforcement, education and support. I take comfort from the fact that the honourable member for New England has indicated that the coalition are also supporting this legislation.

Smoking tobacco is the biggest cause of preventable death and disability in Australia. It takes the lives of around 20,500 Australians every year. The numbers are staggering and sobering: between 1960 and 2020, smoking tobacco is estimated to have caused the deaths of over 1.2 million Australians. The impact of tobacco use doesn't stop there. It also has substantial negative effects on the environment and the economy, and it compounds health and social inequities. Tobacco use is a major reason for poorer health status in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. It's why the Albanese Labor government led the development of the National Tobacco Strategy 2023-2030. The strategy has 11 priority areas for action, including to continue to reduce the affordability of tobacco products. Despite comments from the member for New England, we know that is a clear way to stop the consumption of tobacco.

So today I'm pleased to support the Excise Tariff Amendment (Tobacco) Bill 2024 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Tobacco) Bill 2024. These bills will increase the excise and customs duty on tobacco goods by five per cent per year for three years, in addition to the ordinary biannual indexation. These amendments cannot come soon enough when it comes to the scourge of vaping. Labor is taking on the tobacco industry so it cannot succeed in getting a new generation addicted to nicotine. For the first time in decades, under 25s are the only group that are currently recording an increase in smoking rates. I know, as the father of an 18-year-old—and from the group research I did the other day watching the footy with my son's peers—that this is a significant change, even for my generation. Recent research from the Minderoo Foundation found that about one in three young people have vaped in the past 30 days. Young people who vape are also three times more likely to then take up smoking. We know that vapes also have widespread use amongst young people, and we know that marketing is directed specifically towards young people. We know it's a massive problem in schools, and parents across Australia are rightly worried. So the amendments in these bills are just part of our fight against vaping.

This year, the Albanese Labor government has also banned the import of disposable single-use vapes and all non-therapeutic vapes, with therapeutic vapes being those used by someone who has made the decision with their doctor to transition away from tobacco. It's something I've got to say that I'm sceptical of, but I'll defer to those with better connections with the medical community. We'll continue to strengthen product standards for therapeutic vapes by limiting flavours, decreasing nicotine levels and applying pharmaceutical packaging—rather than vapes looking to be something like a child's toy that could be hidden in a pencil case.

Labor will also be introducing legislation to make it illegal to produce, advertise or sell single-use disposable or non-therapeutic vapes anywhere in Australia. It's important to note that our legislation is being supported by $29.5 million in funding to assist people with quitting smoking and vaping. This includes allowing easier access to Quitline services, as well as a new online hub and a mobile app. These bills will also maximise the excise and customs duty on loose leaf and other tobacco goods that are subject to the per-kilogram rate, with the duty paid on tobacco goods at the per-stick rate. This means that whatever form the tobacco comes to Australia in, it will be taxed the same.

We're taking these measures because we know they work. Making tobacco products more expensive is the most effective weapon in our arsenal to reduce the number of Australians who smoke. We know that both increasing the cost and using plain packaging work to deter tobacco users and make it harder for customers to access the tobacco. It means it's not just something that you can throw in the shopping trolley as it's now back behind the counter.

Over a decade ago, smoking rates in Australia were about 16 per cent. The latest data has it around 11 per cent, which is the equivalent of about one million fewer Australians smoking. Increasing taxes on tobacco will help Australians reduce their smoking, with the ultimate aim being to stop smoking in Australia altogether. It's crucial to support these measures with public health initiatives both in education campaigns and with dedicated treatment enhancements—

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The revenue raised by these changes will be $3.3 billion over five years. These funds will go to the healthcare system for ongoing support for current and former tobacco users. This includes the new National Lung Cancer Screening Program and improving First Nations cancer outcomes. Combining higher taxes on tobacco with support for people trying to quit is a proven strategy for decreasing the number of people smoking. It's a virtuous hypothecation almost.

We are backing up these measures with $188 million committed over four years to bolster the Australian Border Force as it tackles the scourge of illicit tobacco. ABF will work in collaboration with the states and territories to strengthen our capacity to stop illicit tobacco at the border. In 2020-21, the size of the illicit tobacco market in Australia was estimated at nearly $1.9 billion, approximately 10 per cent of the market. Labor are committed to our goal of reducing smoking rates to below 10 per cent by 2025 and to five per cent or less by 2030. I know that the Australian Border Force will be an essential part of this process. Recently, as part of the public works committee, I saw some of the great they do on the front line in terms of inspecting cargo and the like up in Darwin. It's incredible. They have big X-ray machines to make sure that Australia's borders remain safe.

I'll finish with a quote from the National Tobacco Strategy:

Significantly reducing and eventually eliminating tobacco use in Australia would dramatically reduce illness, increase quality of life, and reduce health, social and economic inequalities for smokers, their families and the wider Australian community. It would prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, reduce the burden of costly tobacco-attributable disease, increase workers' economic productivity and reduce the burden on carers.

That's a vision worth fighting for, and I commend these bills to the House.

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