Williams Poto: Customs and Excise (Tobacco Products—Budget Measures) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third ReadingText is subject to correctionWilliams Poto: Customs and Excise (Tobacco Products—Budget Measures) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading[Sitting date: 26 May 2016. Volume:714;Page:11448. Text is subject to correction.]POTO WILLIAMS (Labour—Christchurch East): I am keen to talk about the Pacific aspect of this bill with specific reference to new section 79AD which will be inserted into the primary legislation. It gives effect to the 10 percent increase in excise that will be collected on tobacco and in the years subsequent to that the 10 percent increase each year over a period of 4 years which will then provide to the Government we hear somewhere in the region of $425 million in revenue.There has been a bit of discussion already in the Committee about the purpose and the use of that revenue but I want to talk specifically about the collection of $42.5 million that will come directly out of the pockets of Pacific smokers—people from the Pacific who smoke. What should happen to that money?In 2004 the Quit Group which does such things as manage Quitline did a study into smoking amongst Pacific people. It is not a new study but one of the interesting facts that it found was that in the preceding decade one of the things that caused it to look at the rates of smoking amongst Pacific people was that it was becoming increasingly socially acceptable for Pacific women to smoke. Whereas smoking had been culturally unacceptable in the past it was becoming more acceptable socially for Pacific women to smoke and in particular for young Pacific women. Whether that is the influence of being a New Zealand - born Pacific person the study does not extrapolate. However what it was saying very clearly was that the rates for Pacific young women were going up.As far as I can tell from the information that it provided it would be good to have some or most of that $42.5 million that we will collect from Pacific smokers directed into the cause of ensuring that young Pacific women are educated about smoking and have some really good information so that they can make choices for their own health. Public health information works—we know it works—but it takes time and we need to start as soon as we can on that.This bill is going through the House under urgency so we will not have the opportunity at the select committee to hear submissions. This morning when I was at the Child Poverty Action Group post-Budget breakfast I took the opportunity to speak to a few people whom I met there. One woman in particular who works with children with asthma and respiratory conditions said to me when I asked her about her view on this legislation that yes if she had been given the opportunity to submit she certainly would have. She would have been in favour of the measures that the Government is taking on board.However—and it is a big “however”—she asked what is happening with our plain packaging legislation. The effectiveness of these measures is enhanced immeasurably when you take a suite of approaches and when you look at the various other tools. She knows that we have the legislation sitting on the Order Paper just awaiting the work programme of the Government to actually pass it. We know the impact that it is having in Australia. The Health Committee actually met with some members of the Australian health select committee and we have heard from them directly that it is making an impact. So I am urging this Government to get that piece of legislation pushed up the Order Paper because it will make a difference.The other thing that this young woman said to me was that she is also influenced by the work that is being done currently on smoking in cars. That will have a direct impact on children and babies in cars who are inhaling second-hand smoke. My colleague Louisa Wall made the important point about influencing adults to influence their children. I do just want to reiterate that here is one measure that we can take very quickly. It will take some time to bed in but it is an important factor and we need to ensure that we do that.This bill is a good step but it does not go far enough. I do commend Minister Lotu-Iiga on taking this measure. I wish he was bolder for Pacific people and Pacific smokers but we do commend the bill to the Committee.