The Smokefree Coalition and New Zealand Public Health Association (PHA) have applauded Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard for refusing to back down against tobacco industry threats to sue over cigarette packaging legislation.
Tobacco giant Phillip Morris is planning to sue the Australian government over legislation requiring increased health warnings on cigarette packets, saying the packaging will stop it standing out from competitors. The PHA, Smokefree Coalition and the Cancer Society are calling for the New Zealand Government to follow in Australia’s footsteps and introduce plain, unbranded cigarette packaging.
Dr Stone says the tobacco industry will be hit “really hard” by the plain packaging and will use “whatever tactics they can” to stop the legislation.
PHA National Executive Director Dr Gay Keating says it is “beyond immoral” that Phillip Morris is threatening court action in what she says is a “mercenary attempt” to continue to attract Australians to smoking.
“The PHA applauds Canberra for its courage and leadership in standing up to the bully tactics of big tobacco,” she says.
Smokefree Coalition executive director Dr Prudence Stone says Julia Gillard has the moral high ground and her actions are a good example for our Government.
“She’s saying, ‘We don’t care who or how big you think you are; a business that causes death is not as big as a country that prevents it.’”
Philip Morris is a US company, and is using a bilateral investment treaty that Australia signed with Hong Kong in 1991 to bring the case in an offshore international tribunal.
New Zealand has a similar bilateral investment treaty with Hong Kong that was signed in 1995, and the Green Party is warning that corporations could take the New Zealand Government to court over legislation that isn’t in their favour.
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