Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McLucas for her second supplementary question. Smoking is the largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in Australia. Each year, about 15,000 Australians die from tobacco related diseases, and it costs our community an estimated $31.5 billion each year. That is why this government has announced a comprehensive package targeting smoking. The government has decided to increase the excise for all tobacco products by 25 per cent. I am also pleased to inform the Senate that legislation was introduced into the House this morning. The government has also decided to lead the world  and introduce plain packaging of cigarettes by 1 July 2012. The Liberals, of course, do not have a health policy on this. So they are saving paperwork, but we also know the opposition have accepted donations from the tobacco companies. (Time expired)