It’s been a while since Australia saw overt political lobbying from the tobacco industry. But there are signs that things may be ramping up.
On Friday Health Minister Greg Hunt caved to pressure from within his own party to delay new restrictions on importing liquid nicotine, used for vaping.
It followed a letter from 28 Liberal and National MPs condemning the restrictions, arguing vaping was a healthier alternative to smoking.
Hunt eventually gave in to the backlash, saying he would delay the reform by six months.
So why the sudden revolt over the ban? And why are the Nationals — a party designed to represent the interests of rural Australians — leading the charge to protect the interests of the vaping industry, which contributes almost nothing to the Australian economy?
Follow the money
The answers may lie in political donations. The National Party is the only major political party in Australia still accepting donations from tobacco companies, with Labor and the Liberal Party banning them in 2004 and 2014, respectively.
In the past five years the National Party has collected $120,000 from Philip Morris, which owns a stake in e-cigarette company Juul. Around $80,000 of that came in the last two years alone, according to returns filed with the Australian Electoral Commission.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has been leading calls to block the latest reforms, telling Sky News on Friday that the push had widespread support from within the party.
“It’s no secret that many Liberal and National members of the joint party room have been calling for a joint outcome,” he said.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, signatories to the letter include Nationals Barnaby Joyce, Bridget McKenzie, Llew O’Brien, Ken O’Dowd and Damian Drum. Liberal signatories include Eric Abetz, Jason Falinski, Trent Zimmerman, Dave Sharma, James Paterson, Hollie Hughes and Amanda Stoker.
Canavan is also behind a petition with George Christensen calling for an end to restrictions on imported liquid nicotine.
University of Sydney public health school emeritus professor Simon Chapman, who has followed the lobbying efforts of tobacco companies for years, said the reason for the revolt was simple.
“What’s going on here is just lobbying,” he said. “You’ve got an interest group which is the vaping industry which of course involves every single major tobacco company. It just really stinks.”
Smoking rates in Australia have declined significantly over the past two decades, from 22% in 2001 to 13% in 2017-18. But even so, tobacco still contributes to an estimated 21,000 deaths, or more than one in eight, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The US has also recorded at least 59 deaths linked to vaping, and Australian doctors have been urged to question patients about their use of e-cigarettes.
Hunt has committed to introducing the reforms in January and reiterated the health dangers of e-cigarettes. “This is why we need to drive down those smoking rates further,” Hunt said.
But it raises the question: why is the National Party still accepting donations from tobacco companies? And does it give companies a back door to influence the government?
Crikey put these questions to the Nationals, and a spokesperson responded with:
“The Nationals strictly adhere to our electoral and legal requirements, including disclosing campaign contributions in accordance with the law.”
The Cancer Council warned any interference by tobacco and e-cigarette lobbyists could undermine Australia’s strong record in standing up to the industry.
“If [the reform] is undermined by vested interests making unsubstantiated claims, it will set a terrible precedent,” a spokesperson said.
Should the Nationals accept donations from tobacco companies? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say column.
I think that the National party is showing its usual lack of ethics in getting their funds from another unethical source.
The motivation of course is power at any cost. Are we really surprised?
Quelle surprise.
Canavan, Joyce et al have taken a break from their day gig as lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry to champion another altruistic cause: the tobacco brigade.
These blokes (they’re mainly ho-hoper males with a couple of dishonourable exceptions) are the most toxic participants in the Australian political ecosystem.
Reliably wrong every time.
The legislative machinations in the US which had previously fought against tobacco restrictions, are now resisting legislation restricting or limiting vaping through casting doubts about related research, not unlike climate science:
‘Harvard E-Cigarette Study is Misleading. The use of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs, may kill you or so researchers want headlines to read. But those headlines, along with a recently released study, are very misleading.’
https://www.alec.org/article/harvard-e-cigarette-study-is-misleading/
Courtesy of the Koch influenced ‘bill mill’ ALEC the American Legislative Exchange Council, funded by various corporate donors to lobby selected politicians, committees, academics and media, which in turn can be easily linked with the IPA via the Koch Atlas Network.
Since when has the LNP or any LNP MPs had any original policy ideas or using their own initiative in supporting legislation or not?
The two LNP pollies who got up the petition against banning imports of vaping nicotine are, in my opinion, among the worst MPs in the Parliament. Yet I signed their petition. Why? A member of my family, a good husband and father, was a heavy smoker. He wanted to quit but the addiction wouldn’t let go of him. Then he took up vaping. I wish he could stop altogether but his health has improved greatly since he stopped smoking and as an additional benefit he doesn’t stink of tobacco. Most countries allow vaping. It probably makes some bad corporations richer but so does alcohol.
Afraid that is a personal observation or anecdotal, not based upon scientific research nor significant population samples.
Further, an issue which is masked or ignored, has been the targeting and drawing of new vapers amongst youth…. ditto alcohol and gambling.
Where’s your research then ? Rais’s comment has just as much validity as yours if not more . Perhaps you could check out the situation in countries like Britain and New Zealand .
Publication of research on the matter would be welcome. In the meantime, with my sample of one, I can see that this one person appears to be less harmed by vaping than he was by smoking. Bring on the research, I hope it supports what our family has seen.
Hmm lesser of two evils is still evil…
Not denying that Beth. But that’s what many of us have to choose every three years when voting time comes around.
NEIN radio in Sydney has also gone into bat for BAT – all last week, nothing but distressed listeners ring, texting & tweeting in almost identical testimonies to the sheer wonderful miraculousness of nicotine vaping.
So that’s all right, then. Just Vox populi.
That’s suspect. It’s harm reduction. I hope.