Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says tobacco is "uniquely harmful" and so warrants tougher restrictions. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Labour has taken aim at big tobacco lobbyists with a proposal designed to severely restrict their influence on government.
The opposition party has repeatedly accused the coalition of being in thrall to the tobacco industry after it rolled back Smokefree laws early this term.
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello - who is responsible for the changes - has vehemently denied any links to tobacco companies and says the coalition remains committed to the Smokefree 2025 goal.
At Parliament on Thursday afternoon, Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall unveiled a new member's bill "to protect New Zealanders' health from the influence of big tobacco and shed light on their links to decision-makers".
The bill will join about 70 other proposals currently in Parliament's ballot, to be debated only if drawn at random.
Verrall said New Zealanders had a right to know what tobacco lobbyists were up to behind closed doors.
"New Zealand can be a country where tobacco industry lobbying is brought out of smoke-filled rooms and into the light."
The legislation explicitly states that the government "must not support, endorse, or advocate for the business interests of tobacco industry participants".
Asked by RNZ to clarify what that covered, Verrall gave the example of Costello's excise cut for Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs), which primarily benefited Philip Morris.
"[This bill] would have prohibited making a specific tax cut for a tobacco company," Verrall said.
"For other decisions, we would have had more open disclosure of conflicts of interest and potentially would have been more aware of those links before the election."
At the time, Costello said the government was trialling a 50 percent tax break on HTPs to encourage people to switch to that product as an alternative to smoking. Health officials advised against the move.
Labour's proposal would require ministers and officials to declare any links to, or engagements with, the tobacco industry. Ministers' conflicts of interest would be listed in a public register.
As well, public officials would face a suite of restrictions over their "interactions" with tobacco companies.
The bill includes a "revolving door prohibition" barring former ministers from working for any tobacco company during an unspecified "cool-down period" after leaving office.
Similarly, public officials would be prevented from working in the industry for six months after quitting. If they did so during the six months after that, they would be required to notify the state services' agency.
Verrall acknowledged that would be difficult to enforce and said the disclosure requirement would carry no consequences.
The tobacco companies themselves would also be required to provide an annual report to the director-general of health detailing a range of activities, including any political donations, marketing, or work with online influencers.
Asked by RNZ why Labour had singled out the tobacco industry, Verrall said the product was "uniquely harmful" and so warranted tougher restrictions.
"It is the only product that kills half the people that use it," she said. "There is nothing else like that. Gambling and alcohol are not like that."
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