Chadwick Steve: Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Chadwick Steve: Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:674;Page:20092] 
Hon STEVE CHADWICK (Labour) 
: 
 I wanted to speak on Part 1 of the Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Amendment Bill but I will have a crack at weaving in something on Part 2. And I wanted to congratulate the Minister in charge of the bill Tariana Turia. I heard little snippets when I was not here about the journey. We would not be at the stage Tau Henare acknowledged today when he said that the door was closing on an amazing chapter if Labour had not opened the book and started it in the first place. I acknowledge Tukoroirangi Morgan and also Judy Keall who later picked up the original bill. I was given sponsorship of the bill because I was a midwife and it looked a good fit with a health professional to then sponsor that next leg of the journey but I could not have done it without the leadership of Helen Clark. It was Helen Clark who was brave and I remember— 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: She was great. Bring her back. 
Hon STEVE CHADWICK 
: I must tell Mr Hide that in this Chamber when I sat for hours and hours in the chair for the Smoke-free Environments Amendment Bill it was he who said one day that I was a hairy-legged feminist from Helengrad which was hardly the case for a dear old midwife and granny supporting smoke-free legislation. I took it; I took lots of offensive remarks because I knew it was the right thing to do. I just smiled at Mr Hide and let him blither on because we were on a journey. We knew we were doing the right thing in our chapter— 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. However interesting this may be we are on Part 2 “Amendments relating to offences regulations and purposes”. 
Hon STEVE CHADWICK 
: I am about to get there. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I know the member is and we had a slight diversion. 
Hon STEVE CHADWICK 
: A slight tolerance there but I was also going to acknowledge that Tony Ryall now supported Tariana Turia. I think that is the growing awareness and I do not think Dr Hutchison will call a point of order when I say something nice like that. In fact Dr Hutchison was the only National member in the House who voted for the smoke-free environments amendment legislation and I congratulate him— 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: And Lynda Scott. 
Hon STEVE CHADWICK 
: And Dr Lynda Scott that is right. We never forget that—doctors health professionals and health practitioners. 
Public health—and this is about Part 2; Mr Chairman you will be pleased—is not just about penalties offences infringement notices and regulations. Public health is also about education and bringing society along with us on this journey of change. Part 2 is about excise tax and then there is this little bit at the end of it about offences. I do not think we want to get too hung up on the offence provision at all. This is a small part but we cannot bring any public health change into effect without having that carrot-and-stick approach. I think the Health Committee has done a great job and has the level of offences about right. There is now a $10000 fine which is an increase from $2000. People laughed at a $2000 fine in the past and I think it is about right to put it up to $10000. In our pursuit of this legislation we have seen tobacco sold to young people who then leave the shop to onsell it outside. They break down a packet of cigarettes and sell those cigarettes individually for quite some profit. I do not think penalties are always the answer to reducing smoking over time but they give a societal sanction that if a person breaches the provisions in this legislation and gets caught that person will be fined. 
I will mention clause 14 which the Committee quite rightly recommended should be amended to give effect to the proposal to remove the specific requirement for the Minister of Health to consult with tobacco retailers manufacturers importers or wholesalers. I think the provision that forced the Minister to consult with the industry was outrageous. In this case the industry is peddling something that harms society on a very high scale of harm. I think this amendment will better align with article 5.3 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which is about the protection of tobacco policy. I think these provisions are right. We will be back in this House in about 5 years’ time looking at the next stage of legislation we bring in. I was sorry that certain things were not brought forward in this bill: plain packaging banning vending machines and other little bits and pieces. In about 5 years’ time we will be back in the House and another Minister will be promoting that next leg of the journey. But I think the regulations in Part 2 are fitting.