Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Canavan, move:

(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on Tobacco Harm Reduction, be established to inquire into tobacco reduction strategies, with particular reference to:

(a) the treatment of nicotine vaping products (electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco) in developed countries similar to Australia (such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the European Union and United States), including but not limited to legislative and regulatory frameworks;

(b) the impact nicotine vaping products have had on smoking rates in these countries, and the aggregate population health impacts of these changes in nicotine consumption;

(c) the established evidence on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation treatment;

(d) the established evidence on the uptake of e-cigarettes amongst non-smokers and the potential gateway effect onto traditional tobacco products;

(e) evidence of the impact of legalising nicotine vaping products on youth smoking and vaping rates and measures that Australia could adopt to minimise youth smoking and vaping;

(f) access to e-cigarette products under Australia's current regulatory frameworks;

(g) tobacco industry involvement in the selling and marketing of e-cigarettes; and

(h) any other related matter.

(2) That the committee present its final report on or before 1 December 2020.

(3) That the committee consist of six senators, three nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and one to be nominated by any minor party or independent senator.

(4) That:

(a) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or any minor party or independent senator;

(b) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and

(c) a participating member shall be taken to be a member of the committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee.

(5) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.

(6) That the committee elect as chair one of the members nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate and as deputy chair a member nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

(7) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

(8) That the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, may appoint another member of the committee to act as chair during the temporary absence of both the chair and deputy chair at a meeting of the committee.

(9) That, in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, has a casting vote.

(10) That the committee have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, notwithstanding any prorogation of the Parliament or dissolution of the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings, the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(11) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President.

(12) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such documents and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.

Question agreed to.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask to have it recorded that the Greens oppose that motion.

Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask to have it recorded that Centre Alliance oppose that motion too.