Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I have other questions that relate to the bill but not directly to the amendments. So perhaps at this point we could put the amendments so that Senator Carr can go off to whatever he needs to do next. I did not want to inconvenience you, Senator Carr, but I do have other questions relating to the bills generally.

Question agreed to.

During the second reading debate a number of speakers have encouraged the government to examine the track-and-trace schemes, which are used in jurisdictions such as Massachusetts, California and Canada. They are an effective way of clamping down on elicit tobacco and this is recognised in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This has been offered as a practical suggestion for the government to adopt. Can you tell me, Parliamentary Secretary, what steps the government has taken to examine track-and-trace schemes for tobacco excise, since the minister offered in August, during her summing-up over the tobacco plain packaging bill in the House?