Mr Hastie moved, as an amendment—That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
“whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House:
(1)notes that:
(a)illicit tobacco has become a multi-billion dollar black market in Australia, increasingly linked to substantial organised crime activity, violent criminal networks and serious community harm;
(b)the Government’s own Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner has estimated the illicit tobacco market to be worth between $4.1 billion and $6.9 billion in 2024-25;
(c)the Government’s repeated increases in tobacco excise have significantly widened the price gap between legal and illegal tobacco products, driving consumers toward the black market and dramatically increasing the profitability of organised criminal supply;
(d)in stark contrast to the Government’s 2023 forecasts of a $3.3 billion revenue increase, the Parliamentary Budget Office has estimated that the Government’s excise policies will reduce budget revenue by more than $20 billion between 2024-25 and 2028-29;
(e)policy responses to illicit tobacco under the Government have been hopelessly weak and inadequate; and
(f)this bill represents no more than a partial response to the serious escalation of illicit tobacco activity across Australia; and
(2)calls on the Government to finally develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy, and to deliver the range of accompanying practical actions that are now urgently needed, to decisively combat the spread of illicit tobacco and the associated proliferation of organised criminal activity”.
Debate ensued.