ID :
201910
Wed, 08/17/2011 - 14:07
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/201910
The shortlink copeid
Roxon confident of support for plain packs
SYDNEY (APP) - Aug. 17 - Health Minister Nicola Roxon believes Labor's plain packaging push for tobacco will pass parliament even if the coalition doesn't support the legislation, which aims to cut smoking rates.
The government wants to force all cigarettes to be sold in olive-brown packaging from mid-2012 in a world-first move.
The opposition says it will support the main enabling legislation, but not an associated bill which aims to ensure plain packaging "will not affect trademark owners' ability to protect their trademarks from use by other persons".
Ms Roxon says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott can't support one bill and not the other.
But she's confident both will get through the parliament without Mr Abbott's help.
"I would be surprised if this legislation is unable to pass," Ms Roxon told reporters in Canberra.
"I am very confident of the broad support that we have received.
"Even if Mr Abbott doesn't want to support it we've had very enthusiastic support from most of the independents but also from a number of Liberal backbenchers."
Ms Roxon said Labor would, however, still prefer bipartisan support.
The second bill was necessary to ensure tobacco companies' trademarks could still exist even though their use was restricted, she said.
"I don't understand why they (the opposition) would oppose this second part of the legislation except that they seem unwilling to support anything to do with plain packaging if they can help it."
The coalition is worried the trademarks bill could allow regulations made by the minister to override the Trade Marks Act.
Mr Abbott said on Wednesday he knew the time for glamour associated with tobacco was long past.
"We support plain paper packaging," he told reporters.
"(But) what we do not want to do is overturn the ordinary parliamentary arrangements under which legislation becomes regulation."
Greens health spokesman Richard Di Natale said the situation was straightforward.
"Essentially we've got a piece of legislation before the Australian parliament that will save Australian lives," he told reporters in Canberra.
"And there's some supporting legislation that facilitates (it)."
Senator Di Natale said Mr Abbott had to decide if he believed in saving lives "or whether he supports big tobacco".
The government wants to force all cigarettes to be sold in olive-brown packaging from mid-2012 in a world-first move.
The opposition says it will support the main enabling legislation, but not an associated bill which aims to ensure plain packaging "will not affect trademark owners' ability to protect their trademarks from use by other persons".
Ms Roxon says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott can't support one bill and not the other.
But she's confident both will get through the parliament without Mr Abbott's help.
"I would be surprised if this legislation is unable to pass," Ms Roxon told reporters in Canberra.
"I am very confident of the broad support that we have received.
"Even if Mr Abbott doesn't want to support it we've had very enthusiastic support from most of the independents but also from a number of Liberal backbenchers."
Ms Roxon said Labor would, however, still prefer bipartisan support.
The second bill was necessary to ensure tobacco companies' trademarks could still exist even though their use was restricted, she said.
"I don't understand why they (the opposition) would oppose this second part of the legislation except that they seem unwilling to support anything to do with plain packaging if they can help it."
The coalition is worried the trademarks bill could allow regulations made by the minister to override the Trade Marks Act.
Mr Abbott said on Wednesday he knew the time for glamour associated with tobacco was long past.
"We support plain paper packaging," he told reporters.
"(But) what we do not want to do is overturn the ordinary parliamentary arrangements under which legislation becomes regulation."
Greens health spokesman Richard Di Natale said the situation was straightforward.
"Essentially we've got a piece of legislation before the Australian parliament that will save Australian lives," he told reporters in Canberra.
"And there's some supporting legislation that facilitates (it)."
Senator Di Natale said Mr Abbott had to decide if he believed in saving lives "or whether he supports big tobacco".
