LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BEING PLAYED LIKE A FIDDLE BY LIBERALS
As Tobacco Donations Reforms Blocked
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader
Thursday, 15 November 2012
The Tasmanian Greens today accused the Legislative Council of selling out the health of current and future generations of Tasmanians by voting to allow political donations from big tobacco to continue.
Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that the Legislative Council is being played like a fiddle by the Liberals.
“The Legislative Council, supposedly an independent House of Review, has now voted with Will Hodgman’s ultra-conservative Liberals to block marriage equality, delay the return of lands to the Aboriginal community, and allow political donations from big tobacco to continue,” Mr McKim said.
“No wonder the Liberals are happy – they will be able to continue to receive their cancer cash while tobacco donations will continue to stain Tasmanian politics.”
“Just yesterday, Smoke Free Tasmania and other health stakeholders were highlighting the appalling fact that 570 Tasmanians die each year from tobacco related diseases with 218 dying from lung cancer alone.”
“Tasmania also has the highest rate in the nation of young and teenage mothers smoking while pregnant.”
“Political leadership is desperately needed to turn these deadly statistics around, but instead of demonstrating that leadership the Legislative Council has voted to allow public policy makers to continue to accept blood money from big tobacco.”
“Other jurisdictions around the nation, and internationally, are moving to stamp out the stain of tobacco donations, and yet once again the Legislative Council have dragged Tasmania backwards.”
“It is not minority government holding Tasmania back, it is the Legislative Council jumping to the negative tune of the Liberal Party,” Mr McKim said.
• LEG CO HYPOCRISY EXPOSED OVER TOBACCO DONATIONS
Paul O’Halloran MP
Greens Health Spokesperson
Friday, 16 November 2012
The Tasmanian Greens today condemned the decision by the Legislative Council to block reforms to end political party donations by tobacco companies in Tasmania.
Greens Health spokesperson Paul O’Halloran said that the decision was not only a backwards step for public health, but also hypocritical in light of the Council’s support for a total ban on smoking.
“In August the Tasmanian Legislative Council put itself in the global spotlight when it voted for a ban on cigarette sales to people born after the year 2000,” Mr O’Halloran said.
“Just a few months after voting for a complete phase out of cigarette sales, Legislative Councillors are quoting directly from the Liberal Party’s tobacco-funded political campaign book.”
“Psychologists describe cognitive dissonance as when a person holds two or more conflicting beliefs at the same time, but in this case I just call it hypocrisy.”
“They have voted to allow tobacco donations to continue to stain Tasmanian politics and they now have the blood of real people on their hands.”
“If we want to end the harm of tobacco addiction then change needs to start at the top, and that means political leaders showing leadership by breaking their ties to big tobacco.”
“Make no mistake this $40,000 donation from big tobacco to the Liberal Party buys silence and inaction.”
“I have barely heard a peep from the Liberals on the need to take strong action to reduce our high smoking rates.”
“In Tasmania, close to half of all young and teenage mothers self-report smoking while pregnant, which is the highest in the nation and requires strong political leadership.”
“All health advocacy groups make the link between tobacco donations and political silence, which is why they universally support putting a stop it.”
“The Greens agree that a ban on tobacco donations is only the first step in a broader range of political donations reforms needed, but we have to start somewhere.”
“How on earth does voting in support of the current bad situation move us forward?”
