Transcript of Press Conference, Sydney

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PDF printable version of Transcript of Press Conference, Sydney (PDF 42 KB)

7 April 2011


E & OE

Topic: Plain Packaging of Tobacco

Nicola Roxon: Well thank you very much for coming today. It gives me great pleasure to be announcing today that the Gillard Government is taking another step in its fight against tobacco.

In particular, I am delighted to be releasing the world's first tobacco legislation which mandates plain packaging for the sale of all tobacco in Australia.

What you can see here is what the packages might look like. We've done a lot of design work and testing to make sure that the colours - olive brown is the winner as the least attractive to potential smokers. We are proposing to change the size and scale of the very graphic health warnings that appear on every packet of cigarette and other packaged tobacco in this country.

And we are going to ensure that in Australia there are no remaining avenues for tobacco companies to market and promote their products, particularly to young people. G

Gone are the days when people can pretend that cigarettes are glamorous.

Gone are the days where gold embossing can imply luxury, or pale green can imply that they are light, or safe. There is no safe amount of tobacco that you can consume.

As our public health campaign that is running at the moment makes clear, every cigarette that's smoked takes you one step closer to cancer.

Similarly, we're running a very clear and strong campaign that shows the benefits to your body and to your hip pocket if you give up smoking.

And our Government regards this comprehensive approach as necessary to try to bring down the smoking rate in Australia and save many thousands of Australians from having loved ones die as a result of disease that they get from smoking.

So this world first is a step that we're taking after a lot of work, a lot of detailed work. Our legislation proposes to regulate the use of branding in every way - symbols, logos, design features [indistinct] ridges, embossing, coils and inside linings.

The cigarette pack will be required to be dark olive brown, matte finish and as I say that's been consumer tested to make sure it is the least appealing and the least misleading to smokers and draws the eye most directly to the graphic health warning that is on the packs that you can see in front of you.

We're very excited about this step. We know that big tobacco is going to fight the steps that we're taking. Unfortunately what we don't know is whether we will have political support across the Parliament to take these steps.

And I call today on Mr Abbott to declare that the Liberal Party will join us in this world first, to make sure that Australia can reduce the harms caused from tobacco.

Unfortunately the Liberal Party still takes donations from tobacco companies and I hope that that will not affect their judgment when it comes to a decision that needs to be made for supporting this plain packaging legislation.

This is a very important step for us. We believe that it is possible to achieve the target of getting the Australian smoking rate down to 10 per cent by 2018. And we want to get the smoking rate in Indigenous communities halved within that time. The only way we can do that is if we take a very aggressive approach to making sure that the health messages are clear, the supports are available for people who want to quit and of course we do all we can to stop new people smoking.

We know that there's going to campaigns against these steps; we know that big tobacco is already running campaigns to encourage smokers to protest to government. But I have yet to meet a single smoker who hopes or wants their child to be a smoker.

This step, plain packaging, is designed to make sure that new people don't take up what is a killer habit. And we believe that it will particularly have an impact for young people. We want to make sure that the risks of smoking, the attractiveness of smoking, the glamour that might have been attached to smoking in the past is dead and gone. That's why we're taking these steps today.

And why I'm very proud to be part of a government who is prepared to be part of this world first. I know that Doctor Pesce from the AMA wants to make a few comments. I'll open it up to questions first and then I will hand over to him.

Question: And so the tobacco industry for decades now, well over a decade has been saying harsher restrictions on the sale of tobacco, licensing, et cetera et cetera would see the proliferation of the chop chop. Whereas [indistinct] the tobacco industry, they claim to be about who you know of industry now.

Has there been any discussion with Customs, with urban police, with the Taxation Department as to what the likely effects on the illegal tobacco trade will be?

Nicola Roxon: There have been discussions with all of those parties. There have been discussions with tobacco companies themselves about steps that we should take to ensure that this measure will not lead to an increase in illicit trade.

Companies will be able to use some markings to beat out anti counterfeiting measures. But they won't be able to use those in a way which needs to promote, so there's a balance of course in making sure that our legislation is adhered to.

But we need to be realistic about this, tobacco companies have always said that these measures will not work. They have always said that this will not have an impact.

In fact decisions of successive governments in Australia have been able to reduce our smoking rate of 1988, at 30 per cent, down to nearly, just under 17 per cent now, 16.6. That shows that these measures work. There is no evidence to say that that whole amount has been taken up by an illicit trade.

I think this is really a bit of a furphy. We're going to see plenty of those, but our government is determined to make sure that measures that we believe will work, that the evidence shows us will work, that are supported by the World Health Organisation and that can have a public health that means that instead of 15,000 families grieving for a loved one that they've lost each year, we can to reduce that number. And that is a fight that's worth having.

Question: Have you discussed it with your lawyers as to - as well because you know that there will some sort of legal challenge here?

Nicola Roxon: Well of course. Of course the Government takes careful legal advice. We've taken careful legal advice in the way this has been drafted. We believe we are on very strong ground. We know that we are breaking ground internationally, but we think we are strong legal grounds.

And we're not going to have big tobacco threaten us with legal action and that scare us off taking action that we know is needed for good public health outcomes.

The World Health Organization supports these measures, it asks countries to consider taking these steps. The reason I have announced it here today, at the World Medical Council meeting, is to encourage doctors around the world to support their governments taking action to tackle tobacco.

I don't want success that's just here in Australia, that's my focus as the Australian Health Minister. But we know that this a killer around the world and I think all countries can take further steps to make sure that tobacco is used as little as possible.

Question: Some of the things they're saying is that it would infringe international trademark and intellectual property laws. But then they're raising - they're raising the line that it's like tell McDonalds you cannot have the big arch, the golden arch. You know, this is what they're putting out there.

Nicola Roxon: Well of course. The difference is, there is no safe amount of tobacco that you can consume. Every single cigarette that you smoke creates a risk of cancer. There is no safe amount, this is not a nuanced message; tobacco kills people.

Every cigarette you smoke, you inhale 4,000 different chemicals into your body. Every cigarette you don't smoke you can see the improvements. Your hair improves, your skin improves, your lung capacity returns. You reduce your risk of heart disease within 12 months and you save yourself four or five thousand dollars if you smoke a pack of cigarettes every day in here.

So this is good for your health, it's good for your hip pocket and I don't believe that tobacco companies will be successful in their challenges. But absolutely, they have rights they can pursue like anybody else. That's not going to stop the Government taking action that is needed.

Question: Are you expecting any political resistance? You've asked Tony Abbott to join you, is there any suggestion that he won't?

Nicola Roxon: Well, the most worrying thing is this has been announced by the Government as a step we will take. It was announced nearly 12 months ago, almost exactly 12 months ago. The Liberal Party has made no statement of support for this step that we are taking. In fact, during the federal campaign was determinable quiet about the support issue.

So I fear that this is a sign that something that should be readily and quickly supported by any political party in this country may be opposed by the Liberal Party.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope when they see the legislation that they will make the decision that this is good for the health of all Australians. And I hope that they will also make the decision to the Labor Party made many years ago to stop taking donations from tobacco companies, and of course removing suggestion that those donations might form or affect their opinions on legislation such as this.

Question: Minister, if this comes to a vote in the house and obviously if the Coalition is not going to support this, you know, failing Coalition members crossing the floor, you will rely on the Independents. If it came to one vote and that vote was Andrew Wilkie's, what are the chances of him using this as a dealing tune in his proposal to get poker machines taxes through?

Nicola Roxon: Look, I think there are a lot of different hypotheticals in the current makeup of our Parliament; there's almost an impossible number of variations. I think there will be a lot of members of the Liberal Party and the National Party who will want to support this legislation if their leadership does not. I think there will be a lot of Independents who will want to look closely at this legislation.

You will need to put those questions directly to Mr Wilkie, but my understanding is Mr Wilkie, like myself, has had a family member die from cancer. And he's not likely to take big tobacco's arguments terribly seriously. But ultimately those are a matter for each and every member.

We do have an alternative government and that is the Liberal Party, they are the major other party in the Parliament. They have a choice whether they want to be world leaders or not.

We're happy to welcome them, we hope they will join us in, you know, blazing the way for the rest of the world to have these very strong restrictions on all sorts of promotions of tobacco in Australia.

But that is ultimately a matter for them.

Question: But I guess the question is, would the Government then rule out doing a deal with Independents or lone parties in this push to get this legislation through?

Nicola Roxon: Look, I'm not going to rule in or out anything for a piece of legislation that is being released today in draft form. It's being released for 60 days of consultation. We know that there will be a lot of public interest. We know there'll be a lot of interest in the Parliament. We haven't started formal discussion with any of the other political parties or Independents until today when we released this legislation. And I look forward to having those discussions and I'm sure they will be - there will be many people within the Parliament and in the community who think this a good opportunity, particularly to reduce the chance that their children might pick up this deadly habit.

Question: [indistinct] this colour?

Nicola Roxon: I was a little bit worried. One of my team did say to me, can you make sure whatever you wear today it's not olive brown? Or military brown or something. Look the testing is done on how we make these products unattractive. That colour rates highest. I think what is clear from these mock-ups we had in front of you, is it does very much focus you on the graphic health warnings as well. We want the eye to be drawn to those warnings. We want it to be clear that there's Quitline information so that people who want to give up can. And we believe that this is a step that can make a difference. That's why we're determined to do it.

And I'm excited about the opportunity for us to drive down that smoking rate, which by international standards is low. But when you think about 15,000 people dying every year, for something that we can prevent, it's still far too high.

Question: Who did you do the testing on?

Nicola Roxon: We did the testing at the - the Department has done the testing widely, particularly on smokers and young people. Obviously we're determined to make sure that this will work and we will continue to test. And through this consultation period we may have other suggestions that are put forward to us.

Question: So it was current smokers of all ages?

Nicola Roxon: Yes. I can get you the information. I don't have the breakdown of all these but I can get that.

Question: Minister, when will we see a dental subsidy scheme and has the failure to include this in this year's budget affected your relationship with the Greens?

Nicola Roxon: Sorry, I didn't get the last part.

Question: Has your failure to include it in this year's budget affected your relationship with the Greens?

Nicola Roxon: We're not announcing what's in and out of the budget here today. I do know that I can't let this opportunity go and talk about dental care. There's one very good way to reduce some of the serious harms and [indistinct] as you can see, not just mouth and throat cancer but some pretty poor outcomes on the teeth of the smoker as well.

We're in discussions with the Greens about a range of matters that they would like to be in the budget. We've been talking to them about options. We will keep having those discussions. But people do need to understand that the budget is not an unending pot of money where every single request that is made is able to be fulfilled.

So we're working through those issues. We look forward to continuing to have discussions with stakeholders, with other parties that are interested, but budget announcements will be made on budget night.

Question: Minister, can you tell us a little bit more about the anti-counterfeit legislation that's [indistinct]?

Nicola Roxon: Look it's not on caps. My understanding is that there's been discussion of the way that they [indistinct] on the cigarette stick themselves.

We are obviously prepared to take advice on how that might reduce anti-counterfeiting measures. There's a lot of detailed trade advice and technical advice. We are prepared of course to work with the companies to take any steps that will assist in that way.

We're not open for negotiation on whether we take this step on plain packaging or not, but if there are measures that can be taken as part of it that will protect against the illicit trade, obviously we're prepared to do that.

Question: Minister, for some time tobacco companies have described this as the third-last step, taking the brands off packaging. The second last step is - tobacco becoming a prescription only drug, so I suppose everyone gets a script from their doctors, take it to a pharmacist and get it issued from the dispensary. And the final step is of course the banning of tobacco outright.

These are not my comments; these are what big tobacco has been saying privately for many years. How far away from that situation, you mentioned 2008…

Nicola Roxon: I think big tobacco have also been saying that this is the first step to us selling chocolates in plain packaging and kiddies will never be able to be happy again. Now obviously we don't agree with that. We are announcing today a step that no other country in the world has announced. We have some of the most stringent rules already in place. We think that this is the sensible next step.

We don't [indistinct] other things on our agenda. We've got a big fight on our hands to deliver this and we think we can deliver it.

You know, if you were starting again - and if you read the number of letters I have from primary school students every single day of the week - if you were starting again, set laws for a new country where no products were legal or illegal and we knew what we knew about tobacco now, it would not be a legal product.

But the truth is, it is currently legal, there are many people who are addicted. We need to do all we can to break those addictions, to help people break the chains of smoking, particularly in our Indigenous communities. And we need to do all we can to stop people starting in the first place. That's where our focus clearly is today.

Question: Minister, you're in Sydney today. We've obviously got a new state government. I was wondering if you've met or had any discussions with the new Health Minister and any sort of views on getting them to sign up to the national...

Nicola Roxon: Yes. Thank you. No. Look, I haven't been able to meet with Jillian Skinner today. I have organised to have a phone conference with her. We're ready, willing and able to, but I must say I do understand that for a new government, it does take some time for people to get their feet under the desk and make sure that they are ready to have their discussions and be briefed. I understand we now have that set up for tomorrow so I'm looking forward to that.

Of course, we congratulate the government on their election and Jillian Skinner has been a health spokesperson I think for about 16 years, so no doubt she has some very clear views about the way she wants to work to deliver health reform in New South Wales.

I've been heartened by public comments that have been made, particularly about transparency and information for the public because that's a very big part of our health reforms.

Of course, New South Wales, as a state, is signed on to our health reforms. We already have more than 300 beds that have been opened in New South Wales as a result of our investments.

So we are very hopeful that the new government will not make a decision to close those beds and to withdraw that investment.

But I have nothing to suggest that that is their intention. I'm looking forward to having discussions with the Health Minister and the Premier at an appropriate time.

Question: Just back to the cigarettes, into [indistinct] department's research, is there anything to suggest they [indistinct] see the rise in the...

Nicola Roxon: No. Obviously the testing is on what is attractive, unattractive, what makes people think the product might be safer or less safe, all sorts of things. It's not - the research that's been done has not been conducted on the price of issue.

Of course we did increase the excise for tobacco this time last year by 25 per cent. That was a very big jump in the excise and we know that that has an impact in encouraging large numbers of people to make a decision to quit.

But this part of our comprehensive measures, not just to effect price, but also to restrict the ability to promote products in a way which might imply they are attractive or fun or glamorous. All of those days are gone. There's nothing glamorous, fun or safe about smoking and we want that message to get out there into the community.

Question: Do you think the final pack design will change much or this is pretty much what you'll see?

Nicola Roxon: No. Look, obviously we're releasing this today and the legislation today to be able to get feedback from the community. We are committed to updating our health warnings so there will be a range, I would expect, of other health warnings that can appear. But pretty much this graphic is what we've decided and our research has led us to believe is the most effective.

We've had technical advice from a whole range of intellectual property experts and others, but we are releasing it today with a 60-day window for consultation with the absolute declared purpose of getting feedback, ironing out any problems that there might be, taking suggestions from the community if there are other ways or other options that we should think about.

Really, we've got to this point already following a very lengthy consultation process, so I'm not expecting that something significantly different will come from this consultation period. But I am open to anything coming from the consultation which can include these measures that we're taking.

Thank you very much for coming.

Andrew Pesce: Thanks very much.

The Australian Medical Association is obviously very, very happy and proud to support this initiative. I have been fortunate to have received congratulations from my international colleagues who have commended Australia and the role of the Australia Medical Association has had in advancing the campaign to reduce smoking.

You've heard a lot of initiatives. Another very important initiative which we were very happy to support recently was the listing of nicotine patches on the PBS which meant for the first time, it was cheaper to give up smoking than to continue smoking.

And I think people look for magic bullets all the time in medicine. But the truth is that it's very rare that there's one move, one strategy, which somehow magically fixes an intrinsic problem. And we need to understand that there have been many, many steps by many, many governments which have contributed to the decrease in smoking that we see.

It's fantastic for those of us who are fortunate enough to occasionally travel overseas to really see that there is a difference in the amount of smoking in Australia in public places. It's very rare to see people smoking now.

My daughters, who are 20 and 18 years old, are incredulous when we go to a restaurant in another country that there are people smoking in the restaurant because they've just never seen it here.

So I think the AMA is very, very proud to support this. This is really a no-brainer. The AMA obviously won't get involved in legal arguments or political arguments, but if you ask me that the public interest weighs very, very heavily down in the direction of promoting more regulation to decrease smoking.

We sometimes agonise about gene patenting, you know, the balancing of emerging new technologies, making sure the money's there to promote research et cetera. There's no such argument in tobacco. It's all just one way. It's all win-win and the AMA is very, very happy to support this and are proud to have been a part of the campaign to see this come to fruition.

Question: Is it going to work? What do you think of the packages?

Andrew Pesce: I'm sure it will work. It'll contribute. As I said, it isn't a magic bullet, but it's part of a comprehensive strategy which we put with all the other things, including pharmaceutical benefit support for nicotine patches, public education, continual education and development of models of counselling and support for people who want to give up smoking.

I feel very guilty sometimes when, you know, I said to my grandmother, you've got to stop smoking, Gran. You've got to stop smoking. She says, well, that's all very well for you to say, but you're the doctor, you're supposed to help me. So these are all the things that as doctors we can help our patients to give up smoking and not just tell them to.

Question: The fact that the minister announced today at a conference like this with so many people from around the world with expertise like yourself, do you think that you couldn't have chosen a perfect venue really and audience to do it?

Andrew Pesce: Well, I think so. Really, as she was giving her talk to the delegates of the Medical Association Council, there was just nodding of heads and very enthusiastic smiling. It's actually quite good to see Australia really at the forefront in international terms of some very important public health and health-related issues.

Ends.