‘Reckless’: Coalition’s 80% cigarette tax cut slammed by health experts

The Australian Medical Association and Labor have rejected a plan by the Coalition to cut tobacco excise by 80%, labelling it a backward step on tobacco control. The plan, announced by Angus Taylor and Nationals leader Matt Canavan, aims to curb soaring illegal cigarette sales by reducing the excise on a standard packet of 20 cigarettes from about $30 to about $6. According to Taylor, this move would undermine illicit tobacco dealers, who currently control more than half of all sales in Australia.

The Coalition government would spend $200 million on a law enforcement push against illicit sales, with increased funding for the Australian Border Force, federal police and other agencies. Taylor claimed that Parliamentary Budget Office modelling found the plan would add about $8 billion in revenue to the budget over four years. The opposition frames the move as an assault on organised crime, with Taylor saying "You don’t bring organised crime to its knees by protecting its business model."

The plan has been labelled "reckless" by Australia’s leading medical body, while the opposition to the plan also comes from Labor. The announcement comes weeks after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson proposed a 75% cut.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.