Claire Clutterham
Sturt · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Some in this House have asked: how many cups of coffee can you buy with the Albanese Labor government's 1 July 2026 tax cuts? But I ask: how many cups of coffee can you buy with the money that you save from seeing a GP for free?”
“The eSafety Commissioner has identified serious compliance concerns and is actively investigating five major platforms due to their noncompliance.”
“But we need action from the entire parliament, in this place and in the other place, for that to happen. I call on all members and senators to walk together to take this action. I do that because this issue is also deeply personal for me. In my first speech to this parliament, I spoke about my own experience of bullying at school.”
“One of the early scenes in the 2010 movie The Social Network depicted young women at Harvard recoiling in disgust as they discover a website created by one of their peers that allowed male students to compare them based on their so-called 'hotness'. The website was a precursor to what would become Facebook.”
“Social media is a part of the world they have always known, yet they were remarkably forthright about its downsides. They spoke about algorithms that keep them scrolling, the pressure to seek approval through likes and followers, and the impact social media was having on their confidence, self-esteem and mental health.”
“That is why keeping children safe online should be a bipartisan issue. When the Albanese Labor government introduced the social media minimum age of 16 last year, we did so because we listened to parents, educators, experts and young people.”
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“They also discourage tailored health care because many policyholders choose to stay on older, cheaper plans to avoid sudden price jumps, which limits their options and may result in them not actually enjoying the benefit of the most appropriate policy for them. Other consumers might then elect to downgrade their cover, which ultimately leads to the risk that they will be underinsured and exposed if their cheaper policy does not include the treatment they actually need, rendering it useless in terms of value for money. Schedule 2 of the bill addresses this issue through amendments to the Private Health Insurance Act that will require insurers to apply to the minister for approval for the premiums for new and existing products.”
“Currently, there is no requirement for insurers to seek approval for the premium charged for new products, and what has happened in some instances is that this loophole has been used to bypass the intent of the premium round by closing an existing product to new members and then launching a new but very similar product at a higher price than was previously authorised by the minister for the existing product. This process, known as phoenixing, has driven up the cost of private health insurance policies, far exceeding government-approved average increases. Phoenixing means that some Australians end up paying more than they need to, especially those on newer or top-tier policies. These steep hikes don't just increase costs.”
“The private health system also relies on private health insurers operating with integrity and incentivising people in a fair and transparent and ethical way to take up or maintain private health insurance for themselves and their families. Schedule 2 of the bill is directed at this, and that is relevant to changes to strengthen ministerial oversight of private health insurance premiums to better protect consumers. Without schedule 2, the status quo would remain, and that status quo is that private health insurers are required to apply to the minister if they wish to change the premium for an existing product, which typically occurs annually as part of the annual premium round process.”
“The fees and charges applied by surgeons and specialists are what they are because the work is incredibly skilled, performed by clinicians who have spent years and years training and honing their craft in order to provide the best possible outcomes to their patients in often incredibly difficult, complex and challenging environments. This bill recognises that, but all it seeks to do is to make sure that patients understand what those costs are prior to incurring them and that patients have had the opportunity to compare the costs of multiple skilled providers. Comparison might not matter to some patients; they know who their preferred surgeon is, and that is the end of the matter. But others do want to investigate and explore, just to be sure, and the capacity for patients to do that on the basis of accurate data is completely reasonable.”
“You know what you're up for before you place an order, and no-one would go to a restaurant and order dinner without knowing what it was going to cost. Now, no-one is saying that the provision of highly skilled surgery by incredibly well-trained and intelligent medical professionals is the same as eating a meal in a restaurant, but the principle of transparency before the event is the same. People need to know if they can afford a service before they commit to it—what savings and sacrifices they may have to make to pay for the health care that they need, what they might need to give up or go without in order to fund the health care that they need.”
“The schedule will facilitate the publication of the relevant data on the Medical Costs Finder without the need for input from specialists, as it will be drawn from Medicare, hospital and insurer billing data already collected by the government. The Medical Costs Finder, operated under the auspices of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, is a tool to find and understand costs for GP and medical specialist services across Australia, because it can't be right that patients who need treatment are required to commit to that treatment without knowing what the cost of the treatment will be and without being equipped with the tools to enable them to compare those costs with costs charged by other like providers. When you go to a restaurant, the prices are on the menu.”
“In a health system where it's important to have a balance between private and public health services, it is a disincentive to take up private health insurance if costs are opaque, hard to understand or not available until after the event. This bill, the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026, will enable Australians to make informed decisions about their health care and their private health insurance. It will enable them to weigh up the factors that underpin a decision to take up private health insurance or not. Schedule 1 of the bill is dedicated to this in that it provides consumers with more detailed information on the expected medical fees charged and the likely out-of-pocket costs for a private healthcare experience.”
“Extras are another important part of private health insurance, and, depending on the type of cover, you may then be able to claim back money for a range of health services that might not be covered by Medicare up to your yearly cover limits. Many Australians take out private health insurance because they want more security, more choice and quicker treatment than what the public system is able to offer. They also take it out because they know that sometimes lightning strikes. Nobody has a crystal ball about what future health issues might affect them, and many people just want to be prepared. Given its importance as well as the cost, the private health insurance system needs to be transparent and clear about what is covered and at what cost. It also needs to be sustainable and equitable for everyone.”
“Private health insurance can also mean more choice in your healthcare, in that you have more choice when it comes to choosing the doctors, surgeons and specialists who might treat you. Then there is time. Depending on your cover, private health insurance may help avoid public hospital waiting lists so you can access the care that you need more quickly. That being said, in Australia, although our public health system is very good, there are challenges, and there can be long wait times to get elective surgery. Having private hospital cover means you might get faster treatment for elective surgery, unlike those who rely only on the public system.”
“Furthermore, this bill will outlaw the practice that is known as product phoenixing, where private health insurers close a product and then reopen an identical one at a higher price or reduce the value of a product. This is designed to close a pre-existing loophole. We know that many Australians choose to take out private health insurance for personal, individual reasons. Private health insurance, especially hospital cover, provides security. It's peace of mind knowing you and your family will be cared for if you're injured or have a health condition. Having private hospital insurance means that, even if the worst happens, there is a security blanket. Hospital cover can provide that security.”
“Measures that facilitate greater transparency from private health insurance regarding what policies include, how agreements with providers operate and how arrangements affect patients and hospitals, together with measures requiring private health insurance to clearly explain what is and what isn't covered, are critical. People often access their private health cover during times of illness and stress, and they should not be left navigating complexity alone during this time. Anything that helps patients understand what they're paying for and why something is included or not included is something that should be prosecuted, as should the provision of genuine help for patients to assist them to anticipate their out-of-pocket costs.”
“Secondly, it amends the Private Health Insurance Act to require insurers to seek ministerial premium approval for new products and existing products where certain changes are proposed. The new premium approval process provided in the bill broadly aligns with the current process for premium changes for existing products. The purpose of these provisions is to expand and formalise ministerial oversights of premium setting for private health insurance products. Overall, the bill aims to strengthen transparency and improve patients understanding of their health care and private health insurance arrangements which can often be very complex, difficult to understand and difficult to apply.”
“I rise to speak in support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026. There are two key purposes to this bill. Firstly, it amends the Health Insurance Act 1973 and the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to allow the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to publish information for consumers on medical fees charged by medical practitioners, including specialists and general practitioners, together with the likely out-of-pocket costs for their private healthcare experience. The purpose is to support greater transparency and healthcare pricing, helping consumers make informed decisions about their health care and obtain better value from private health insurers.”
“With plans to attract data centres, particularly in regional areas, the focus is on creating jobs and economic opportunity while putting in place legislation to manage energy and water use responsibly. We are reflecting the same principle at the federal level. Growth must be carefully managed with clear guardrails so that communities benefit alongside industry. All of this reflects the broader principle that has guided our approach to AI from the beginning. When it is done properly, there are real opportunities for Australians. The role of government is to regulate without paralysing innovation, to enable growth while ensuring that it is safe, sustainable and fair. We welcome investment, we support innovation, and we want Australia to lead.”
“As a Labor government, we will always stand with workers. Labor is the party of workers, and we are determined that the growth of AI infrastructure must translate into secure, well-paid jobs alongside real investment in skills, apprenticeships and training pathways. Australians should not just host this infrastructure; they should build it, operate it and benefit from it. A Future Made in Australia means we are a centre of capability where research and innovation is supported, enabling Australian startups and small businesses to access the computing power they need. In my home state of South Australia, the state Labor government is taking a proactive approach, making it clear the state is open to AI investment—but not at any cost.”
“They must understand that although government wants to encourage innovation and AI development, there does need to be regulation, with the role of government being to strike that careful and precise balance between encouraging growth and not paralysing business, at the same time as protecting the Australian people and our natural resources. This applies strongly to water, a precious resource that must be carefully managed. We expect data centre operators to adopt efficient cooling technologies, minimise reliance on potable water and engage early with communities, utilities and stakeholders. Transparency and long-term planning are essential to ensuring that these developments are sustainable and resilient. This is also fundamentally about people—about Australian workers and the economic opportunities that come with this transition.”
“AI data centres are highly energy intensive, and it would not be acceptable for that demand to place upward pressure on prices for Australian households and small businesses. Our approach is clear: new developments must support, not undermine, Australia's clean energy transition. That means securing additional renewable energy, contributing fairly to transmission and grid infrastructure, improving efficiency and supporting grid stability. Those who benefit from this growth must also help build the system that sustains it.”
“They create jobs and they support a modern economy. But with that growth comes responsibility. That is why the Albanese Labor government has a clear national expectation for data centres and AI infrastructure developers to ensure this investment delivers shared benefits, not just shared costs. At its core, this is about making sure AI infrastructure in Australia serves our national interest. These facilities are not just commercial assets, they are strategic. They go to data sovereignty, national security and community trust. We expect developers to engage openly with local communities, businesses and government to minimise impacts and operate in ways that deliver real benefits for Australians. Equally important is how this infrastructure interacts with our energy system.”
“Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept. It is here, it is growing rapidly and it is reshaping our economy in real time. This discussion is not just about AI as a technology and what it can do. It is about the infrastructure behind it—the data centres and AI facilities—and ensuring that they are built and maintained in Australia's national interest and in the interests of the Australian people. AI must work for Australians, our economy, our communities and our future. There is no question that AI brings with it enormous opportunity. When harnessed for constructive purposes, it drives productivity, supports innovation, strengthens industries and enables world-leading research. Data centres are a part of this. They operate to power the digital services Australians rely on every day.”
“The curvature of the Earth limits the straight-line trajectory of radio waves, and this technology facilitates the travel of those waves beyond just a straight line by bouncing them off a layer of the upper atmosphere and beaming them back down to earth, enabling the surveillance of aircraft or ships that are thousands of kilometres away. Its capability means that aircraft and ships that would otherwise be hidden by the horizon or attempting to fly low to evade conventional radar can be tracked. As well as strengthening our friendship and partnership with our ally Canada, this deal promotes economic prosperity and national security and forms part of the Albanese Labor government's Future Made in Australia.”
“The export of Australia's world-leading over-the-horizon radar technology is critical for Australian jobs and our national security. This landmark $2.5 billion deal is the largest defence export in Australia's history, and it will support Canada's Arctic over-the-horizon radar, enhancing early-warning and long-range surveillance across the North Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific. Not only will this further support the national security of Australia and Canada, but the deal will also strengthen Australia's sovereign industrial base; create 1,000 direct and indirect high-skilled, high-paid Australian jobs; and promote broader employment across supply chains by creating new opportunities for local industry. So what is an over-the-horizon radar?”
“It is home to people who have dedicated their lives to sports, music, orthopaedics, social welfare, transport and logistics, genomic research, child health, conservation, tertiary education, basketball, the Italian community and the law and the legal profession. What an incredible range of skills and contributions. I absolutely loved meeting and celebrating with those award winners at last Friday's King's Birthday morning tea in Sturt. Of course I'm grateful to all of those winners but also to all community members making a contribution in Sturt, regardless of award status, who work in the service of others, our Sturt community and the great state of South Australia.”
“What do Mr Salvatore Ciccarello, Professor David Findlay, Dr Julja Szuster, Mr Raymond Tanner, Professor Jozef Gecz, the Hon. Rob Kerin, Professor Michael Young, Ms Joanne Hill, Dr Noemi Horvath, Mr Silvio Iadarola, Mr Stefano Marafiote, Mr David Morgan, Professor Susan Sheridan, Ms Kathryn Strohm, Mr Carmine Zollo, Ms Janice Silby and Mrs Dianne Simmons have in common? They are all residents of Sturt, and their incredible contributions to our community were recognised in the recent King's Birthday awards. That's 17 award winners in Sturt, with the winners coming from many industries. That is the beauty of my highly engaged and educated community.”
“It is absolutely critical that we support it, and not only so it grows and thrives domestically but so that it can continue to form an important part of our international trade with both established and emerging markets. Government must continue to play a leading role in this, but consumers can too by buying our beautiful Australian wines. Not only are they excellent but, when you buy Australian wines, you are supporting the Australian wine industry, Australian jobs and Australian businesses, which are worth backing every day of the week.”
“This builds on the existing streams of the program that will be extended, which focus on improving vineyard waste management, working on domestic market demand-building initiatives and boosting regional grape and wine capability. In South Australia, we produce 80 per cent of Australia's premium wine and 50 per cent of all bottled wine, with more than 397 million litres of wine exported overseas in the 2024-2025 financial year, worth $1.8 billion. This makes the SA Wine Recovery Program, developed following recommendations made by the Viticulture and Wine Sector Working Group established by agriculture ministers, with further input from the South Australian Wine Industry Association and Wine Grape Council of South Australia, absolutely critical. Our wine industry is not just worth supporting.”
“Together, Labor is supporting South Australian grapegrowers and winemakers to diversify sales and boost their long-term productivity and sustainability, with the SA Wine Recovery Program having been extended through to 2027. This program is backed by $3.1 million in federal funding, and the extended program is designed to support South Australia's wine industry to recover from the adverse events and market disruptions that have been experienced in recent years. This includes supporting a third round of the resting vineyard rebate, supporting growers to temporarily rest parts of their vineyard to cut production costs and buy some time to evaluate and make decisions on the future viability of vineyards.”
“I helped test the cellar-door sales equipment and can confirm I was easily able to buy some beautiful Australian made prosecco—yes, we can still call it that—and a gorgeous nebbiolo rose, which I can confirm is no longer with us! In Sturt, we are also lucky to be home to Penfolds wines Magill Estate Cellar Door, which also benefited from the grant program and is the spiritual home of Penfolds wines. Located 8½ kays from the CBD, Magill estate is an escape—a sanctuary with beautiful grounds, beautiful food and, even better, beautiful Australian wines. I love going there and, more importantly, I love supporting the South Australian wine industry. South Australia is being supported because of the solid partnership between federal and state Labor governments.”
“The Amadio vineyard is located north of the Adelaide Hills wine region, between the areas of Kersbrook and Williamstown, and, on its 320 acres, it grows a huge variety of grapes, including our favourites: sav blanc, fiano, chardonnay, pinot grigio, shiraz and sangiovese. Amadio also has a cellar door at Felixstow, in my electorate of Sturt, and I went for a visit last Thursday, where I met winemaker Danniel Amadio. The Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant program has allowed Amadio Wines to invest in a customised tasting offering, to invest in their website to allow them a bigger online push into the domestic and international market, and to invest in more sophisticated point-of-sale equipment for cellar-door sales.”
“I'm pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this motion today, and I share the member for Mayo's sentiments about how important the wine industry is to the Australian economy and to remote and regional Australia in particular. In recognition of this importance, the Albanese Labor government will always provide strong support for the grape and wine sector. An example of this is the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant program, with a $30 million commitment over three years designed to allow wine and cider producers to apply for grants of up to $100,000, through Wine Australia, on their eligible rebatable cellar door sales. Round 8 of this program is anticipated to open in August 2026. In round 7, $3.8 million of this was delivered to businesses in South Australia. One beneficiary in round 7 was Amadio Wines.”
“Investing in research means that new ideas can be explored and novel concepts can be worked on before they are introduced to the market. Well-funded and targeted R&D can lead to improvements in a range of things, including economic growth, and it must remain a central pillar of A Future Made in Australia.”
“A Future Made in Australia relies on targeted, meaningful and sufficient investment in research and development, which is why, in the recent federal budget, the government announced it would reform the research and development tax incentive to better incentivise business R&D spending in Australia, primarily by replacing the offset on supporting R&D activities with a higher offset rate on core activities, by refocusing the refundable offset on high-potential firms in need of cash flow support, and by encouraging large-scale R&D firms to undertake their R&D in Australia by increasing the maximum expenditure threshold to $200 million. Collaborative efforts between academia, industry and government agencies are crucial for pushing the boundaries of R&D. This is essential because R&D is the catalyst for innovation.”
“What we can do in the meantime is continue the agenda at the same time as ensuring Australians are shielded from global energy shocks by having access to adequate quantities of our own gas. Finally, there's research and development.”
“This motion also talks about energy, and we are pursuing a prompt but balanced transition to renewable energy. For some, the transition is too slow; for others, too fast; and for others yet again, the transition should be scrapped. But why would you scrap a balanced approach that recognises that the path to decarbonisation and clean energy, whilst urgent, will take time and requires an acknowledgement that some Australian manufacturers do still rely on gas? The government's intervention in the gas market to deliver a gas reservation agreement from next year is a part of this. Yes, we want to phase out fossil fuels, but we can't do that 100 per cent just yet.”
“Staying with defence capability and enabling capabilities—two of the seven priority areas for National Reconstruction Fund investment—Gilmour Space Technologies has also received a $75 million investment, which the company will use to further develop its Eris orbital rocket technology, scale its satellite and rocket manufacturing and expand its spaceport. Another example is the $50 million investment in Advanced Navigation's headquarters, core R&D and high-end precision manufacturing capabilities in Australia. This investment is creating almost 200 new, high-skilled roles in deep-tech engineering, photonics, robotics, high-tech manufacturing, operations and technical sales, and keeping manufacturing jobs here in Australia where they are needed.”
“Worth $15 billion, the National Reconstruction Fund has announced 28 investments, totalling nearly $1.6 billion, to date—investing in businesses in priority industries that lift manufacturing, value-add and enhance local capability. South Australia was home to one of the first major National Reconstruction Fund investments, with a $25 million investment being made in Myriota, a satellite telecommunications company. This National Reconstruction Fund investment is being used to scale the company's Australian based manufacturing of advanced satellite communications models and hardware for global export. Myriota's technology is growing Australia's capability in the telecommunications and space sectors, while enhancing productivity and efficiencies in partnering sectors such as agriculture, mining and defence.”
“A Future Made in Australia is an acknowledgement that we live in a constantly and rapidly changing global environment, with intense international competition, constant conflict and supply chains that are consistently being challenged. It's also an acknowledgement that Australia has competitive advantages in renewable energy and critical minerals, and that partnership with the private sector is critical if we are to insulate and grow our economy and create secure, well-paying jobs that advance the national interest. A key pillar in the Albanese Labor government's Future Made in Australia is the National Reconstruction Fund.”
“This is duplicative and inefficient without materially advancing the objectives of the Proceeds of Crime Act. These amendments would enable unexplained wealth proceedings to progress more efficiently and more consistently with other Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation mechanisms. This bill continues Australia's fight to contain and reverse the growth of the illicit tobacco market, which is essentially taking funds out of essential community services—hospitals, schools, roads, infrastructure. Every criminal syndicate disrupted, every dollar derived from crime confiscated and every successful prosecution put the illicit market on notice. I commend the bill to the House.”
“In terms of how this will operate, part 5 of schedule 3 of the bill seeks to insert a new definition of 'non-referring signatory state' to enable a jurisdiction that has signed up to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the National Cooperative Scheme on Unexplained Wealth to participate in equitable sharing arrangements already existing in the Proceeds of Crime Act. This amendment will further national efforts and cooperation to tackle serious and organised crime by enabling all signatories to the intergovernmental agreement to be involved in discussions on equitable sharing. Further, part 6 of schedule 3 of the bill seeks to remove the requirement for a competent court to make a preliminary unexplained wealth order prior to considering a proceeds of crime authority's application for an unexplained wealth order.”
“Unexplained wealth will also be the subject of amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Act through this bill. Unexplained wealth is the value of a person's wealth less the value of their lawfully acquired wealth. Unexplained wealth orders require wealth deemed to be unexplained to be paid to the government. These laws have been put in place to target and disrupt the business model of serious and organised crime by removing the rewards connected to criminal activity. When implemented successfully, whilst also acting as a deterrent, unexplained wealth orders prevent crime by diminishing an offender's capacity to finance future criminal activity in which they might engage. Again, this is highly relevant for organised crime syndicates currently taking advantage of the low-risk high-reward illicit tobacco trade.”
“Section 298 of the Proceeds of Crime Act provides that the proceeds of crime may be reinvested in programs directed at crime prevention and in law enforcement. First and foremost, of course, the intention is to deprive criminals of their unlawfully acquired assets in a punitive way and, in the process, to hopefully deter them from further offending and remove such assets from the pool available for further offending by them or others, which is particularly relevant to organised crime syndicates. The reforms in this bill will see information obtained through investigations conducted under the auspices of the Proceeds of Crime Act being shared with other Commonwealth regulators. This ensures that our regulatory bodies can identify and take action against professional facilitators that continue to assist criminal actors.”
“With respect to the proceeds of crime, the reforms proposed in this bill seek to prevent offenders from benefiting from the criminal profits generated from illicit tobacco. This empowers law enforcement to confiscate from people convicted of a criminal offence the fruits of their illegal labours. Proceeds of crime may include cash or bank accounts with funds derived from crime; real estate purchased with criminal proceeds; things like vehicles, jewellery or other luxury items bought with illicit funds; and investment, shares or cryptocurrency connected to unlawful activities. In Australia the proceeds of crime framework is designed to confiscate proceeds of crime and allow for those confiscated funds to be used to benefit the community.”
“Then, under the Taxation Administration Act, penalties will be increased for 'the reasonable suspicion and fault-based offences for the possession, sale or buying of tobacco of various quantities where excise or customs duty has not been paid'. It will also 'extend the operation of offences for the sale of illicit tobacco to include the supply of the tobacco' and 'introduce an additional threshold quantity of 10kg or more for reasonable suspicion and fault-based tobacco offences'. It will also increase the penalties for offences regarding the possession of equipment for use in the illegal manufacture or production of tobacco and increase the civil penalty for the possession of tobacco without relevant documentation.”
“Under the Customs Act, penalties will be increased for 'importing tobacco with the intention to defraud the revenue and importing tobacco reckless as to whether doing so would defraud the revenue' and for 'moving or possessing tobacco knowing the tobacco was imported with intent to defraud the revenue, and moving or possessing tobacco reckless as to whether doing so would defraud the revenue.' Then, under the Excise Act, penalties will be increased for 'fault-based and strict liability offences relating to the dealing in, manufacture, storage and production of illicit tobacco' and 'fault-based and strict liability offences relating to the making or using counterfeit tobacco labels'.”
“More powers and information-gathering tools for law enforcement agencies improve the prospects that sufficient evidence will be gathered to successfully prosecute criminal actors committing illicit tobacco offences within our legal system, at the same time as protecting the important safeguards within that system. Offences for which penalties will increase are numerous.”
“This will enable law enforcement and intelligence agencies to seek telecommunications interception warrants for the investigation of these offences, and it sends a strong signal that this government more than recognises that the illicit tobacco trade is a serious problem. It sends a strong signal that the government is committed to stamping it out. The signal is illustrated by a cursory read of the nature of the serious offences already listed in section 5D. This amendment therefore elevates the nature of illicit tobacco offences, meaning greater powers for law enforcement agencies to deal with them.”
“Amendments to the Customs Act, the Excise Act, the Taxation Administration Act and the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act will see penalties increase for offences relating to the importation, possession, buying, selling, supply, production or manufacture of illicit tobacco. Not only is this designed to operate as a deterrent; increasing penalties will enable more effective investigatory powers to be used on a broader range of illicit tobacco offences, including computer access and surveillance activities under the Surveillance Devices Act 2004. Additional amendments will also enable telecommunications interception powers to be used, by listing tobacco offences as serious offences under section 5D of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act.”
“Established in 2024, the purpose of the ITEC is to coordinate national efforts in the fight against illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes by reviewing and reporting on how well current actions are working. This will help provide government with evidence based advice covering policy, legal changes, new trends and future plans to combat illegal activity. The ITEC's remit is as follows: … … … This bill is an important step in beefing up Commonwealth laws by increasing penalties to make the consequences of participating in the illegal tobacco trade much greater for criminals.”
“The trade of illicit tobacco can no longer be left as low risk and high reward, because of where the illegal revenue is directed. The tobacco tax gap, which is the difference between the estimated value of the excise or customs duty raised from tobacco according to the law, or the tobacco duty, the value actually raised for a financial year, was estimated in the 2023 financial year to be 14.3 per cent or $2.7 billion in lost excise revenue. That figure is increasing. The effect of this is that organised criminal activities are benefiting, to the tune of billions of dollars each year, to the detriment of the funding of essential community services. This is a huge challenge for government and for Australia's Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner—the first role of its kind in the world.”
“It's estimated that between 50 and 60 per cent—now increased up to 80 per cent, as of today—of all tobacco products sold on the domestic market in Australia are illicit. Vapes account for almost 96 per cent of e-cigarettes purchased in Australia, with almost every one of them being illicit. With vapes representing a market value of over $1.5 billion and organised crime syndicates estimated to be earning just under $7 billion, that is a serious problem. Billions of dollars of earnings going to organised crime syndicates from illicit tobacco enables them to channel those funds into other illegal enterprises, including illegal drugs, scams, trafficking and money laundering. Suggestions that it is just tobacco, plants or vapes sorely underestimate the scale of the consequential effect of this illicit trade.”
“These operations are not run by genuine farmers or landowners but by criminals living and operating in local communities. Organised crime syndicates also target tobacco retailers across Australia to buy and sell illegally grown tobacco, also known as under-the-counter or black-market tobacco. Buying and selling illicit tobacco is a serious tax crime. Retailers who become involved in the illicit tobacco trade not only contribute to the loss of funding for essential community services, but they also gain an unfair advantage over honest businesses who are not participating in the illicit tobacco trade, so removing illicit tobacco from our streets helps to create a level playing field for all retailers. The statistics regarding illicit tobacco are grim.”