Lees-Galloway Iain: Excise and Excise-equivalent Duties Table (Tobacco Products) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading Third Reading 
Lees-Galloway Iain: Excise and Excise-equivalent Duties Table (Tobacco Products) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading Third Reading 
[Volume:662;Page:10575] 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North) 
: 
 It gives me a tremendous amount of pleasure to rise and speak in support of the Excise and Excise-equivalent Duties Table (Tobacco Products) Amendment Bill. Labour supports this bill because we all understand—every member in this Chamber understands—that we need to do something to curb the prevalence of smoking rates in New Zealand. Labour is supporting this bill because it is an evidence-based bill. The evidence tells us that increasing the price of tobacco products through increasing the taxation of them does result in a reduction in the consumption of tobacco products and that a reduction in consumption will result in a reduction of the harm and the appalling diseases that we associate with tobacco smoking. 
I would also like to add my personal support for the bill because like Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia and I have no doubt like many other members in the Chamber I too have lost close family members and loved ones who have passed away far too early in their lives as a result of an addiction to tobacco. 
It is worth reminding ourselves of just why we need to fight the terrible scourge on our society that is tobacco addiction. It is a proven cause of many cancers not just lung cancer although that is the most common and often the most aggressive and well-known cancer. But other cancers are also caused by tobacco smoking as well as a whole range of other diseases. Cardiovascular disease chronic heart disease strokes respiratory system harm respiratory tract infections asthma and a whole range of diseases are related to cigarette smoking. Those diseases do not occur just amongst people who smoke cigarettes themselves; they also occur amongst those who are exposed to second-hand smoke—most particularly and most sadly the children of those people who are addicted to tobacco products. So it is important that we take this issue seriously and that we do everything that we can to curb the prevalence of tobacco smoking in New Zealand. As I said the evidence tells us that the measure that the House is undertaking this evening is a significant measure to achieve that. 
But there is also a range of other significant measures that we could be considering at the same time as this measure. Indeed a number of people especially those who have recently been making submissions to the Maori Affairs Committee during its inquiry into the effects of tobacco on Maori—and I acknowledge Hone Harawira for his efforts in bringing that inquiry to the fore—have said that now is the time for a package of proposals. They point to things like banning tobacco displays and regulating and indeed licensing tobacco retailers. They look at the need for increased funding for cessation programmes and at a whole range of different measures that we could also be looking at tonight. There is evidence to support our taking those measures as well as this one. Perhaps it is a bit of a pity that we have a single-issue bill before us this evening but as this is the only measure that has been put before the House and as the evidence supports passing this bill Labour will support it going ahead. 
Of course Labour has always supported the use of increased taxes to decrease the prevalence— 
Michael Woodhouse 
: Taxes taxes taxes. 
But I was interested in what some of the other members who are in arrangements with the current Government had to say on it and I found a speech presented by the Hon Peter Dunne who at the time—in 2000—found himself in an unusual position. He was in Opposition but he is a man for all seasons. That time he found himself in Opposition and he said: “One thing that needs to be said at the outset is that this is a most unusual situation. I can never before recall seeing the House take extraordinary urgency to allow the Government to break an election promise”. He went on to say that the then Labour-Alliance Government had only ever spoken about increasing the top income tax rate and that increasing taxes on tobacco was a broken election promise. 
Well what an interesting statement that is when we consider all the possibilities all the options that the Government has in front of it to deal with reducing the prevalence of smoking in New Zealand. They are things like banning tobacco displays the possible licensing of retailers and an increase in funding for cessation programmes. But of all the things that the Government had to choose from it chose an increase in tax. Was National not the party that got into Government that was elected on the basis of its promises to cut taxes? Yet here we are tonight with the new-found National members revelling in the fact that they are increasing taxes. Although Labour members support that we are slightly surprised that this is the first choice that the National Government has made in fighting the prevalence of smoking. 
In supporting this bill we must make the point that although the objective this evening is not to increase revenue it is inevitable that revenue will be increased. So it will be important as the Hon Ruth Dyson has already mentioned that when we get to Budget time we look at exactly what expenditure the Government will announce in relation to matters of smoking cessation and particularly of public health policy. Although it is important to focus on smoking cessation it is also important to focus on ensuring that our young people do not take up smoking in the first place. It is fantastic if we can get people to give up their smokes but it would be very much better if we could actually convince people not to start smoking in the first place. Once people are addicted their ability to exercise personal choice and personal responsibility is absolutely diminished so a far better option is to ensure that people do not take up smoking in the first place. I have no doubt that this bill which is passing through the House under extraordinary urgency this evening will assist in achieving that. But we can do more and the Opposition will be looking to see what the Government does at Budget time to improve not just cessation programmes but also public health initiatives that work with doctors and nurses and with other people in the community in getting them out there to reach our young people and ensure that they get the message not to take up smoking in the first place. 
It would be a real pity if this increase in the taxation of tobacco products simply mirrors the increase that will be experienced on GST: if it were simply used to mitigate the cut to the top rate of personal income tax—the cut to the tax that is paid by people who can most afford to pay tax. It has been mentioned tonight that this tax on tobacco products will affect a lot of people who cannot afford to pay it and we hope that that will convince people to give up smoking altogether. But it would be a shame—it would be an absolute shame—if a measure that is being passed in the name of public health becomes simply an opportunity to increase revenue in order to make up for the revenue that the Government will lose when it cuts taxes for those who are the most capable of paying tax. I hope that that does not occur and I will look very closely at what this Government does at Budget time. 
I will wrap up my speech by saying the Labour members absolutely support this bill. We support the work of Minister Turia. We support the fact that she has been able to convince the National Government to do a U-turn on its previous positions. Even Dr Paul Hutchison has been prepared to make an absolute U-turn from his previous position and he has been able to support the bill this evening. I support Minister Turia and absolutely compliment all members in the House bar four who are prepared to support this bill. It is a good bill and I look forward to its progress through the House.