Page 3898 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 October 1991
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It is now time to draw attention to the continuing and increasing need to reduce the demand for cigarettes and other tobacco products - in particular, here in Canberra, for promoting anti-smoking campaigns and healthy lifestyle messages.
As we know, it was the Alliance Government, under Gary Humphries as Minister, that introduced the Tobacco (Amendment) Act 1990 and put some of these ideas into effect. Mr Berry went on:
We are all aware of the Canberra Cannons' efforts to retain their national basketball league championship status, but most of us would be unaware of their extensive school visits program involving basketball workshops and camps for school children and aspiring basketball players. This program is an ideal promotional vehicle to deliver the anti-smoking message to a large number of Canberra's young people.
The sponsorship program Mr Berry spoke of was a sponsorship from the Health Promotion Fund to the Canberra Cannons and was part of his attempt to draw our attention to the fact that tobacco does so much harm in our society.
Keep in mind throughout this debate that we are talking about $2.4 billion per year in Australia. Keep in mind throughout this debate that the cigarette companies are making astronomical profits and that governments, in particular the Federal Government, also derive an incredible taxation benefit from the tobacco industry. They are in that bind of taking money on the one hand and not being quite sure how to resolve the problem on the other hand.
The speech delivered by Mr Berry in 1989 was a very good speech, setting out the problems in relation to women in particular. It is not necessary for us to extrapolate any further from there, because we can understand the message. The message is that tobacco is the killer drug. It is the worst drug in Australia at the moment. We cannot be seen to be supporting it in any way.
The legislation introduced in 1990 provides in section 10(1):
A person shall not for any direct or indirect pecuniary benefit -
... ... ...
(e) place or display, or cause, permit or authorise to be placed or displayed, a tobacco advertisement so that it is visible in or from a public place;
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