Page 3838 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 27 August 2008
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I have touched on just three of the amendments that will all have a significant effect on reducing tobacco use. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported in 2007 that the national smoking rates have dropped 17 per cent, a drop from 40 per cent in 1977. The ACT has the lowest daily smoking rates among adults between the ages of 30 and 59 of any state or territory, and the proportion of young people who smoke in the ACT has declined markedly from 20.4 per cent in 1996 to 8.6 per cent in 2005.
Through appropriate tobacco control measures, the ACT government are committed to ensuring that our smoking rate continues to drop and that the ACT leads the nation in reducing the harm that tobacco causes. The government have also done much in the field of health promotion and education to reduce the incidence of smoking in the territory. Canberra Stadium and Manuka Oval went smoke free at the beginning of the year. High school students are using the resource pack that was developed in partnership with ACT Health, the Department of Education and Training and the Cancer Council of the ACT. We provide funding for smoking cessation services provided by the Cancer Council and also provide sponsorship grants to health groups to promote the smoke-free message via sporting and other groups. The government continue to explore new initiatives for the ACT’s next phase of reform, which is minimising the public’s exposure to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.
In conclusion, I will go to some of the concerns that have been raised by other speakers during this debate. I thank members for their support of this bill, albeit conditional support in some cases, and I would also like to just to go to the issue of consultation. The government went through a very rigorous consultation process, but a consultation process does not necessarily mean that you come out with everyone agreeing on the outcome. That has been the major difference here in terms of criticism of the process. We undertook a very rigorous regulatory impact statement which went to cabinet. We spoke with the Tobacco Retailers Association of Canberra and all of the tobacco companies, including British American Tobacco, Philip Morris and Imperial.
After the tabling of the bill, there was some concern from retailers across the city, and we undertook further extensive consultation with them, including with Kym Lovett and two other local tobacconists who I met with. I met with Simon Beynon from FreeChoice, and my office met with British American Tobacco, Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco several times—I think there was numerous approaches—as well as Coles, Woolworths, BP, Master Grocers and some of the IGA supermarket proponents, who also raised concerns. The amendments that I will move go to trying to address some of those concerns.
My preference would have been to have had no amendments and to have started this ban within six months of the passage of this bill. But in trying to meet the needs of a whole range of groups in this debate, a reasonable extension of that time to the end of next year is appropriate. It does give general retailers 14 months to make the necessary amendments to their businesses and also for us, as a government, to advise them of the changes to the law and to make sure that they all understand what the new regime means. Specialist tobacconists, of which there are 15 in the ACT, have a further year—that is in excess of two years—to adopt this new regime and to adapt
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