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PDF printable version of Transcript of Interview with Deborah Cameron on ABC 702 Sydney - Plain Packaging of Tobacco (PDF 26 KB)

24 May 2011

Topics: Plain Packaging of Tobacco, Opposition Disunity over Plain Packaging

Deborah Cameron: The tobacco industry has thrown hundreds of thousands of dollars at its campaign to end package branding and brand marketing of cigarettes. It is expected to have a big impact on demand, especially when it comes to hooking new smokers.

There might be a thoroughly hooked smoker in your family or in your circle of friends. They might even tell you that they love it so much they can't stop. But is that what you want for your children, your grandchildren, the kids you go to watch play sport of a Saturday?

The personal experience of people who've survived cancer, who have had it touch their lives, is important. It's not surprising that doctors and cancer survivors in parliament have become advocates for the change.

Alex Somlyay is interesting. He's from the Opposition, which has so far not thrown its wholehearted support behind the government in these efforts to alter cigarette marketing in Australia.

So how much does it strengthen the arm of the federal Health Minister?

Nicola Roxon joins me this morning. Minister, good morning.

Nicola Roxon: Good morning.

Deborah Cameron: Well, first of all, your response to Alex Somlyay and others who appear to be ready to confront the Opposition Leader?

Nicola Roxon: Well, we welcome any parliamentarian's support for this measure. It will be voted on in our parliament. So, each and every vote is important.

But what I think is interesting is that even Liberal MPs are now saying to Tony Abbott that he should stop following the orders of big tobacco, that we need to look at supporting this measure which is aimed at reducing the harm caused by smoking, and it's clear that there are those in the party room who don't like this negative approach that Mr Abbott is taking.

Deborah Cameron: Now, it seems significant that the Indigenous member, Ken Wyatt, from West Australia seems also prepared to vote in favour of plain packaging.

Nicola Roxon: Yes. Well, obviously, you'd need to ask him, but it wouldn't surprise me because, of course, the smoking rates in Indigenous communities are still terribly high, about 50 per cent of the Indigenous population smokes. It's why we've just recently launched our first campaign, which is targeted directly at breaking the chain of smoking through Indigenous families.

I think what you're seeing is there are a lot of sensible people across the parliament, and the Liberal Party are increasingly, obviously, unhappy that Mr Abbott wants to stick up for big tobacco in the same way he seems to want to stick up for big polluters.

They are, obviously, going to put him under pressure on this, and I hope that they'll support the measure.

Deborah Cameron: Can it become a possible, sort of, de facto conscience vote, actually?

Nicola Roxon: Well, that would be a matter for the Liberal Party, and I think that this is clearly an area where there are many people concerned about the public health impact. They want to support what our government's doing.

I think there's been enormous public support for this measure, because it's all about trying to stop new people getting hooked onto an addictive product. And we've seen that big tobacco companies are happy to throw millions of dollars at the campaign and, in fact, over the last decade have thrown millions of dollars at the Liberal Party.

The problem is, really, whether that is affecting Mr Abbott's judgement.

Deborah Cameron: Well now, as I understand it, the background to this is that it has come through a Productivity Commission examination of the best way to deliver a healthier, sort of, community outcome around tobacco.

Nicola Roxon: Well, the action of our Government comes from work done by the National Preventative Health Taskforce. They made recommendations to us. We accepted this recommendation, and we've announced - we've consulted, we've released an exposure draft of the legislation that's currently still available for consultation, and we would plan to introduce that legislation in the second half of this year. And it will make us a world leader being prepared to take away the last avenue for marketing and advertising tobacco to the community. Of course, we've had other restrictions for many years, which the Liberal Party at that time did support.

So, Mr Abbott is putting himself a long way out here, and the question, really, is, why is he doing that?

Why, as a former Minister for Health, is he now acting like the parliamentary arm of the tobacco industry?

Deborah Cameron: Minister, this idea that Australia might be a, sort of, test case for the world, I'm sure that the tobacco industry internationally is watching this very closely. So, exactly what signal would it send if you had bipartisan support on this?

Nicola Roxon: Well, I think it would show that Australia is continuing in its position of being a world leader on many public health measures. We have a low smoking rate compared to other countries across the world, about 16 per cent. Our target is to bring it down to 10 per cent.

If we introduce this change - if we're successful in introducing this change, and, of course, if we see an impact, other countries will follow.

But I think big tobacco needs to actually wake up to the fact that other countries are considering this quite independently from what Australia's doing. Of course, people will look. Of course, as world leaders, big tobacco will fight us hard here.

But other jurisdictions are already announcing that they're interested in going down this path and big tobacco will have more than one fight on its hands.

Deborah Cameron: Now, Mr Abbott says that he does want cancer rates to decline, but he argues that this might not be the best way to achieve lower smoking rates.

Nicola Roxon: Well, his comments were surprisingly similar to those of the chief executive of British American Tobacco. It was almost as if they were speaking off the same script.

He says - Mr Abbott says he's got some anxiety this might not work. Well, I have a lot more anxiety about the known number of people that die every year from tobacco-related illnesses, let alone the effects on families through that pain and suffering and from losing a loved one.

We can do something that makes a difference for this. I hope that Mr Abbott and his Liberal colleagues will support this measure, and I think that would be a proud moment for Australia to be able to stand up to what are getting to be quite hysterical threats of the big tobacco companies.

Deborah Cameron: Minister, thank you very much for your time this morning.

Nicola Roxon: It's a pleasure.

Deborah Cameron: Nicola Roxon, Federal Health Minister.

Ends