❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister for Health regarding advice contradicting the Commissioner of Police on tobacco laws. The Minister avoids directly answering, highlighting ongoing efforts to strengthen legislation and enforcement.
AnsweredQoN 568Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Tobacco—Illegal supply
568. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to my
supplementary question to the Minister for Health yesterday and the minister's
answer.
What advice was the
minister relying on when she said that she did not accept what the Commissioner
of Police has stated? The commissioner said, "If our laws aren't equivalent
to what is happening in other states, organised crime will look to displace to
WA where it is easier to operate."
568. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to my
supplementary question to the Minister for Health yesterday and the minister's
answer.
What advice was the
minister relying on when she said that she did not accept what the Commissioner
of Police has stated? The commissioner said, "If our laws aren't equivalent
to what is happening in other states, organised crime will look to displace to
WA where it is easier to operate."
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. We had an opportunity to spend some time on this issue
yesterday. I am grateful for the question because, as the member knows, I have
had an update to the number of seizures and work that has been going on, so I
will be happy to provide that to the house as we discuss it today.
I was very clear
yesterday that we are getting on with the job of finalising legislation, and we
will introduce that legislation into the house. We are working on it. We
understand the need to strengthen our laws. That work is underway and when the
bill is ready, it will be introduced into Parliament. In the meantime, we are
using the laws and provisions that we have. We are working across agencies with
the Minister for Police and our federal colleagues to ensure that we are taking
the necessary steps to use the enforcement provisions that we have in place.
I am happy to provide an update on the activities that
the Department of Health has been doing because, as I said, we had an
update overnight. I can now report that the department has conducted 1,952
inspections and seized more than 220,000 vapes with an estimated value of $6.6 million,
nearly one million cigarettes and 159 kilos of loose tobacco.
Point of order
Mr Liam Staltari: The minister was asked a specific
question about a specific response to a supplementary question yesterday about
the advice of the commissioner.
The Speaker: Thank you, member. I will not be
upholding that point of order. The minister is giving context to the response
to the question. Carry on, minister.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Meredith Hammat: As I was saying, we are working
with WA police and federal agencies. When those activities are combined,
members will see that we have taken over 11 million cigarettes, almost three
tonnes of loose tobacco, more than 300,000 vapes and over $2.5 million in cash
out of the hands of criminals and off our streets.
We
are working within the enforcement laws that we have. We are doing work to
improve the laws, fines and penalties. I work closely with my colleague the Western
Australian Minister for Police in respect of these enforcement activities and
the improvements that we will make, which is exactly what the member would
expect.
for the question. We had an opportunity to spend some time on this issue
yesterday. I am grateful for the question because, as the member knows, I have
had an update to the number of seizures and work that has been going on, so I
will be happy to provide that to the house as we discuss it today.
I was very clear
yesterday that we are getting on with the job of finalising legislation, and we
will introduce that legislation into the house. We are working on it. We
understand the need to strengthen our laws. That work is underway and when the
bill is ready, it will be introduced into Parliament. In the meantime, we are
using the laws and provisions that we have. We are working across agencies with
the Minister for Police and our federal colleagues to ensure that we are taking
the necessary steps to use the enforcement provisions that we have in place.
I am happy to provide an update on the activities that
the Department of Health has been doing because, as I said, we had an
update overnight. I can now report that the department has conducted 1,952
inspections and seized more than 220,000 vapes with an estimated value of $6.6 million,
nearly one million cigarettes and 159 kilos of loose tobacco.
Point of order
Mr Liam Staltari: The minister was asked a specific
question about a specific response to a supplementary question yesterday about
the advice of the commissioner.
The Speaker: Thank you, member. I will not be
upholding that point of order. The minister is giving context to the response
to the question. Carry on, minister.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Meredith Hammat: As I was saying, we are working
with WA police and federal agencies. When those activities are combined,
members will see that we have taken over 11 million cigarettes, almost three
tonnes of loose tobacco, more than 300,000 vapes and over $2.5 million in cash
out of the hands of criminals and off our streets.
We
are working within the enforcement laws that we have. We are doing work to
improve the laws, fines and penalties. I work closely with my colleague the Western
Australian Minister for Police in respect of these enforcement activities and
the improvements that we will make, which is exactly what the member would
expect.
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