“All this talk of chop chop and crime gangs sounds like bullshit to me”
These are the words of Liberal MP Mal Washer as reported in the Sunday Age. Washer has different views from party leader Tony Abbott who is still cosy with the tobacco industry.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/big-tobacco-lobby-scaremongering-20110521-1ey4n.html
“But Liberal MP Mal Washer broke ranks with his leader when contacted by The Sunday Age last week. Dr Washer, who spent 26 years as a medical practitioner before moving into federal politics, gave a blunt assessment of the tobacco industry’s strategy.
”All this talk of chop chop and crime gangs sounds like bullshit to me. The tobacco industry is jumping up and down because they’re worried about their businesses. I support these reforms unequivocally and whatever my party decides to do, I don’t give a shit,” Dr Washer said.”
Liberals are still best friends (BFF) with big tobacco – except for Mal Washer and a couple of other rogue conservatives. Tony Abbott has consistently prevaricated and avoided supporting plain packaging.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/tobacco-claim-all-smoke-and-mirrors-20110520-1ewn2.html
‘A group of senior MPs, led by cancer survivor Alex Somlyay, said they will cross the floor to vote for the plain packaging legislation. Mr Somlyay has the backing of Mal Washer, a GP, and Ken Wyatt, the first indigenous member of the lower house and a strong advocate for Aboriginal health.’
http://skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=616705&vId=2428586&cId=Politics
The AMA says the liberals should not accept donations from the tobacco industry, and this has been a policy of the Tasmanian Greens for many years.
Current Minister Cassie O’Connor even dumped a load of cigarettes on the door of the Liberals State Office a few years ago when she was a candidate for election. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8254275/ashtray-award-to-arrive-in-plain-packaging
It was very entertaining last week to hear the spluttering incoherence of the tobacco industry as they grasped at straws to counter the push for plain packaging of cigarettes.
First it was going to cause more smoking, then organised crime was going to take over selling cigarettes, then the tobacco industry said they might reduce prices.
Described in the SMH as “chief drug dealer” David Crow from British American Tobacco Australia is no shrinking violet. He has a plan for world domination of the tobacco industry. See slide seven from his 2007 presentation when he worked in South Africa.
http://www.bat.com/group/sites/uk__3mnfen.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO7C3DXU/$FILE/medMD77CCKH.pdf?openelement
He referred to the Africans community as “black diamonds”. ASH UK revealed how in South Africa BAT is specifically researched and targeted the black community in a cynical bid to increase premium brand sales and dominate the market.
http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_685.pdf
http://www.bat.com/group/sites/uk__3mnfen.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO7C3DXU/$FILE/medMD77CCKH.pdf?openelement
Local Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has helpfully questioned the government on its approach to plain packaging. His concerns are about legal costs that may arise if the tobacco industry takes action against the government, and how much money might be budgeted for this.
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fapa_ctte/estimates/add_1011/pmc/PM15.pdf
and then he asked about the intellectual property rights of tobacco companies, and their trademark rights. This is the main basis for the tobacco industry challenge to the federal government on plain packaging.
http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/genpdf/chamber/hansards/2011-02-08/0123/hansard_frag.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf
The ABC says ‘The World Health Organisation has congratulated Australia on its stand, and Nicola Roxon is to receive an award. In recognition of Australia’s world-leading role in the war on smoking, Health Minister Nicola Roxon is to receive a special award from the World Health Organisation’s Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan. The Director-General’s Special Recognition certificate cites Roxon’s “unwavering leadership” in the field of health and describes the proposal to introduce plain packaging as a “bold and breakthrough” approach that is inspiring political leaders in other countries. I (Dr. Shin Young -Soo) will have the honour of presenting the certificate in a ceremony in Canberra on May 31.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2732044.html
Nicola Roxon is standing firm on plain packaging, and is not planning to ban tobacco.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/smoking-ban-not-on-agenda-roxon-20110522-1eyii.htmlx Roxon says a ban is not on the cards
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/big-tobacco-lobby-scaremongering-20110521-1ey4n.html#ixzz1N9GdAEW1
Becky Freeman on plain packaging
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4rz0m70k;jsessionid=C3D52B42D5DF8B91106E74C1CB4DBA70
See the Lancet
What Rob Cunningham in Canada said way back in 1995
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1759383/pdf/v004p00080.pdf
ASH Australia has a good coverage of the plain packaging story. http://www.ashaust.org.au/lv3/action_plainpack.htm
