Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you ever so, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. What role does the government see for tobacco companies in health policy and the political process? What support is there for that view, and what is the government's response?

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

I thank the member for Melbourne Ports for his question, particularly because he has had such longstanding interest in electoral matters and donations and the influence that they may or may not have on public policy in this House.

It is vitally important that, when it comes to public health, the government and the parliament listen to public health experts and not to big tobacco companies. Of course, that might be hard when your party relies on millions of dollars coming from tobacco companies to run election campaigns. In fact, as we now know, 97 per cent of British American Tobacco's worldwide donations go to the Australian Liberal and National parties. That is why the coalition has found it so hard to grapple with our plain packaging measures.

I saw online today something that members on our side of the House, in particular, may not have seen. That is that the Menzies House online journal has exposed the coalition members who argued in the party room against plain packaging. There are some likely and some unlikely members of that group. Among the likely members were the member for Mitchell and the member for Hume. Perhaps a little more unlikely is the member for Paterson. I have a bit of a soft spot for the member for Paterson—sorry, I have to admit that. But he was against this measure.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

It is true. The Prime Minister thinks I am a bit unwell now. Someone I have less of a soft spot for is the member for Mackellar, who said that she is against the banning of tobacco advertising. But the person who takes the cake is Senator Minchin, who said that it was cheaper just to let smokers die.

These links between big tobacco and the Liberal Party run very deep. Of course, Mr Morris, who is a serial employee of tobacco companies, having worked for British American Tobacco and now as a lobbyist for Philip Morris, is exerting his influence amongst members of the Liberal Party. The only way we can butt out the influence of tobacco companies in this parliament is to make sure that every party stops taking donations from tobacco. I see that the member for McMillan announced in the paper today that he is confident that the Leader of the Opposition will ban tobacco donations while he is the leader.

Mr Simpkins interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowan is warned.

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

Today the member for McMillan has gone even further, announcing that this will happen in conjunction with the leader. The member for Moore has suggested that he stands ready to move a motion at the Liberal Party federal council to ban donations. I need to quote this, of course. The member for Moore said:

I'd be happy to do it, but I would try to get someone more senior to do it. The leader would be ideal …

It would be nice for leaders to lead on something like this. Of course, Mr Abbott could move this motion. He could butt out the influence of tobacco companies on public debate in this parliament right here and right now if he wanted to, but he would have to have the guts to do it.