Pokies industry donations for 2010-11 got a brief mention in yesterday’s coverage and they certainly make for interesting reading when totalled up.
Big Tobacco
New trade agreement threatens Australia’s laws on medicines and tobacco
Australia leads the world in many areas of public health but the Federal Government could be negotiating our achievements away, according to Dr Patricia Ranald.
What WAS Bronwyn Bishop smoking?
The tobacco industry is unlike any other donor as its products kill people – but this has not stopped all parties from accepting their generous donations. And it didn’t stop Bronwyn Bishop harassing witnesses at a Joint Standing Committee inquiry last week, writes Anne Jones.
Plain packaging and the ‘counterfeit’ scare mongering
It’s just a bit rich for the tobacco industry’s allies to be talking about “quality control” and “regulatory oversight” of a product that kills in the order of 20,000 Australians a year, writes Bill King, a public health researcher.
Factoids and legal bollocks in war against plain packaging
With the passage of the government’s bill on plain packaging now assured, an ever-desperate tobacco industry is now concentrating on the legal apocalypse that they say will descend on Australia through the courts.
Last Bets: QHA’s pokies reforms are ‘tobacco industry tactics’
There are many tactics that the gambling industry resorts to in defence of its profits including misleading the public through misinformation campaigns, writes Angela Rintoul, Claire Tobin, Darshini Ayton and Charles Livingstone, of Monash University’s Department of Health Social Science.
BAT’s ad campaign against plain packs: pull the other one
The government’s plain packaging proposal allows brand names: packs won’t all have just “cigarettes” on them.
Political donations give and take
The Australian Electoral Commission released political donations data today for 2009-10, giving us an insight into what political parties received from donors between 7 and 19 months ago.
BAT set to spook politicians on black-market tobacco
The next wave of the tobacco industry’s panicked assault on plain packaging of tobacco products is about to start with a DVD, now on British American Tobacco’s website about to be mailed to all MPs.
Hamilton: Gruen’s gift to the advertisers
The Gruen Transfer encourages Australia’s young “best and brightest” to devote their lives — not to finding a cancer cure, teaching indigenous kids or campaigning against climate change — but to making clever TV ads for front groups created by the tobacco industry.
Big Tobacco not just in Liberal pockets — Crikey reveals the Labor links
The Coalition has been exposed this week for its links to Big Tobacco. But Labor members are no clean-skins when it comes to accepting cash from the cigarette industry.
Tobacco debate: plain packaging anything but plain sailing
As the government keeps pointing out, Australia would be the first to legislate for plain cigarette packaging which inherently brings with it legitimate debate about its legality, writes Tim Wilson.
Smokers revolt! How the cig tax will hurt the working folk
Smokers meet outside buildings across Australia and talk almost every day. Now they are talking of dumping the Rudd government, says Lionel Elmore.
Trademark attorney: Tobacco companies have no case on plain packaging
No doubt there will be more huffing and especially puffing from the cigarette companies about the requirement to use plain packaging, but their case is futile, says patent and trademark attorney Glen Gordon.
‘Cancer man’: cigarette companies don’t deserve sympathy
Tobacco companies are well aware of the addictive and dangerous nature of their products. I know, I used to work at one and we’d send free ciggies out to influential decision makers, writes David Donovan.
On ciggies, Australia the world leader in public health reform
Plain cigarette packaging was removed from the public health agenda in the ’90s due to the threat of legal action. But in 2010, it seems governments won’t be so easily scared off by this legal hot air, write Becky Freeman and Professor Simon Chapman.
Rudd’s tobacco laws get the world huffing and puffing
The Rudd Government’s tobacco control announcements are running hot in headlines around the globe, as Australia becomes the world leader in tobacco control, reports Melissa Sweet.
Cigs up: just a puff of hot (smokey) air?
Daily media wrap: Australia has gone into a cigarette-buying frenzy, with news that smoke prices would jump 25% overnight. But is the country also buying into Rudd’s ETS smokescreen?
Why Australia is more addicted to coal than tobacco
Today Kevin Rudd took on a powerful and hugely cashed-up lobby group — too bad it was the tobacco lobby and not the coal industry, says Tim Hollo.
Preventative health lobby inflicting serious damage on our freedom
If smokers are not imposing any net cost on society, why are we endlessly assailing them and the companies that cater to their addictions?
Do plain cigarette packs stop people from smoking?
Yep, according to this 2008 study from the British Medical Journal’s Tobacco Control journal. Smokers presume cigarettes in plain packs will be “less rich in tobacco, less satisfying and of lower quality tobacco.”
Plain tobacco packs: “draconian” or a massive win for public health?
The Oz has labelled Rudd’s plans for plain packaging of tobacco products as “draconian”, but public health experts are wildly enthusiastic, reports Melissa Sweet.
Will Rudd’s ETS woes go up in smoke?
Daily Media Wrap: Less than two days after Rudd’s ETS backflip, the government has pulled a sleight of hand: announcing it will introduce tough new laws for cigarette packets. Ta-da! Health is back on the national agenda.
