Malcolm Turnbull’s honeymoon as Australia’s new Prime Minister continued with the poll showing that 64 percent of Australians viewed him as the preferred Prime Minister.
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Currently, a packet of 25 cigarettes costs around $25 to $30 with the price increase corresponding with advice from the World Health Organisation.
“We want people to stop, we want more people to give up, we want more people who are in hard circumstances to give up as well because we know that smoking kills people”, she said. Poor people die earlier.
Labor’s health spokeswoman, Catherine King, said 2.5 million Australians smoke, and 15,000 die every year from smoking-related illnesses.
The Department of Social Services estimates domestic violence cost the economy $13.6 billion in 2009.
The plan is aimed at raising revenue as well as discouraging smoking, and adding to the pressure on the Coalition over its tax plans.
The shadow treasurer, the Member for McMahon, said – and I quote – “The Government tells us of course there is no alternative but to do things like taxing fresh food, to set a price signal on health and education to jack up the GST”. The prime minister met with the national security committee of cabinet on Monday – and is addressing the coalition party room on Tuesday – as he seeks to reassure Australians that everything is being done to ensure their security. “[Labor] are fringe dwellers when it comes to the issue of economic change and reform in this country”.
The Turnbull government is maintaining a healthy lead over Labor with support for the opposition decreasing six points since Mr Turnbull took over as prime minister from Tony Abbott in September. “I would invite them to tell us what the impact would be in the reduction in the number of smokers and what in fact it would be”.
LOUISE YAXLEY: Mr Bowen says the parliamentary budgetary office has worked out that the change could raise $3.8 billion over four years and then $47 billion over 10 years.
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“They have assumed a natural reduction in smoking and assumed a greater reduction in smoking in the years in which the excise indexation applies [of] around a doubling in the rate of reduction in smoking”, he said.
