King Annette: Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 11 February 2014. Volume:696;Page:15800. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai): It is such a shame that the member who has resumed his seat Dr Paul Hutchison never had the opportunity to become the Minister of Health. I believe he would have made a very fine Minister of Health because he has always stood by his principles and you have just heard some of them tonight when it comes to the control of tobacco.You know there are some things that happen in your political career that are less than memorable and then there are other times when you are involved in policy or change that remain with you for the rest of your life. For 5 years I was involved as Minister of Health in the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. New Zealand along with Australia and Norway—and for the first time with the involvement of NGOs—were the driving force in getting in place a comprehensive framework on tobacco control. At those meetings Dr Robert Beaglehole was there supporting encouraging and guiding along with Dr Don Matheson and others. At the 56th assembly on 21 May 2003 the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control became the first World Health Organization treaty adopted under article 19 of the World Health Organization constitution. In fact it was one of the most quickly ratified conventions in the history of the UN. The treaty itself came into force on 27 February 2005. At my last visit to Geneva at the World Health Organization assembly I was fortunate to be there to celebrate the final implementation of this historic convention. It had been signed by 168 countries and was legally binding on 177 ratifying countries.What did the treaty seek to do? It sought to protect present and future generations from the devastating health social environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. It also set up a universal set of standards stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in various forms worldwide. It provided rules governing production sale distribution advertisement and taxation on tobacco. It provided a minimum set of standards and encouraged ratifying countries to go even further. It was and still is considered a watershed momentfor international public health because it was the first multilateral binding agreement regarding a chronic non-communicable disease.Some of the requirements in that convention were: the need to have public awareness and we have that in New Zealand; demand reduction through taxation measures and we have that; a comprehensive ban on advertising and that has been in place for a long time; restriction of sale to minors and that has been in place for a long time; to have cessation programmes for addiction and of course we have had major policies in smoking cessation programmes in this country for a long time; and on passive smoking an obligation to protect all people from exposure to tobacco indoors in workplaces and on public transport. New Zealand has done those things. A significant measure was on packaging and labelling—that there be a minimum of large health warnings and a minimum of 30 percent of the package covered but 50 percent or more was recommended. This bill the Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill meets one of those last requirements under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.I heard some of the interjections from the Hon John Banks asking whether plain packaging works. Mr Banks on its own it would have to be proven. The bill was put together as part of a framework and as a package of measures which are together believed by the best experts we have internationally on health to be able to reduce the consumption of tobacco and not only the consumption but the prevalence of tobacco smoking in countries. So I urge you to see it as part of the continuation of the implementation of that very very important framework.New Zealand has always been a leader in tobacco control. So I have been pleased at the measures that have been taken. Dr Hutchison I have no doubt of your sincerity but I have to remind you that in the 9 years that we were in Government as the fifth Labour Government—go back and look at the record—unfortunately your Government voted against every tobacco control measure that we implemented. I am quite sure that it was probably not your choice but that is the record. It is on the record. I do believe that Tariana Turia who was part of our Government and was very very aware not only of the evils of tobacco but of what was required under the convention has continued to promote tobacco control. I commend her for that. I was disappointed when I heard her say recently that Labour did nothing for tobacco control. I think it must have been a slip of the tongue because without that convention and ratifying that convention and the legislation and the measures that followed we would not be where we are today.I would also like to commend the work that was done by our former leader Helen Clark. She was totally committed to tobacco control and probably brought in the hardest measure the first measure. It is always hardest to bring in the first one. That measure was banning smoking in workplaces. Many of us who had factories in our electorates and who had working people who voted Labour were very aware of the impact when it came to the 1990 election and some of us were made redundant for a short while.I too am very disappointed at the reaction of the big tobacco industry and businesses. I agree with Phil Goff. They ought to butt out of telling New Zealand what we ought to do when it comes to public health. They have no right to dictate to New Zealand and New Zealanders what we ought to do with a product that—every one of them—is dangerous for a person’s health. But then I have to say it is not unusual that they would do that because unfortunately the USA has not signed the convention on tobacco control. It has refused to sign or to ratify it. In fact President Bush refused to take the treaty to the United States Senate. So the Senate never even got the opportunity to debate it. Here we have big tobacco companies which make their money from a product that kills people trying to tell New Zealanders what we ought to do in terms of our own legislation.I would have to say that I am a little disappointed that we have to wait for the passage of this legislation and that we are waiting to see what happens in the Australian court case. I think it is good on the Australians for having the courage to say to those big tobacco companies: “Bring it on.” I am glad that they have got the money to be able to fund their legal case.Hon John Banks: Why are we waiting?Hon ANNETTE KING: Well that is a good point Mr Banks. He just asked why we are waiting. It is a question that you need to put to the Prime Minister.Hon John Banks: Do we believe in it?Hon ANNETTE KING: Yes I agree that we believe it. It is part of what we believe and where we are heading. The Prime Minister wants to wait to see what happens in the court case in Australia. I think the fear is probably that the tobacco companies might then take us to court. Well I would give them the two-finger salute and say “Bring it on.” because we as a Parliament will first of all want to protect the health of New Zealanders. The big tobacco industries continue to peddle their products into Third World countries now. When you look at the countries that have not ratified the convention—and some of them have not signed it—you will find that most of them rely on the growing and the smoking of tobacco. The tobacco companies prey on those people and I say “Shame on them.”Some of you would have seen the press release that came out from the New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores. I was also disappointed to see that it is opposed to this measure. It says that the Ministry of Health is hell-bent on supporting this legislation. Well if the association is listening tonight it needs to know that the majority of this Parliament is hell-bent on moving a measure that is going to add to the package of measures we have to reduce the consumption and the prevalence of tobacco in New Zealand and as Dr Hutchison said save hundreds and hundreds of people’s lives.