Combatting Illicit Tobacco

“At its heart, this bill is about protecting communities, it's about protecting legitimate businesses, it's about protecting public health and it's about making sure organised crime does not get richer while Australians pay the price. When people walk into a local shop in Morisset, Toronto, Cameron Park, Kurri Kurri, Cessnock, Singleton or Rathmines, they should have confidence that the business is operating fairly and legally; when families go about their daily lives, they shouldn't have to worry about criminal violence connected to illicit tobacco; and, when organised criminals look at Australia, they should see a country that is serious about enforcement and serious about consequences. That's what this legislation delivers. It's practical, it's targeted and it's necessary, because the choice before us is clear: we can allow criminal groups to continue treating illicit tobacco as a low-risk, high-reward business, or we can act. We can strengthen our laws, we can support law enforcement, we can target criminal profits and we can protect Australian communities. This government has chosen to act, and I commend this bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 19 Aug 2026

“This bill will rebalance the risk-to-reward calculation for criminal actors involved in the illicit tobacco trade by increasing the consequences. If this doesn't work, more will need to be done. The reforms will ensure Australia's proceeds of crime regime provides law enforcement with more techniques and the ability to prevent offenders from benefiting from the criminal profits generated from illicit tobacco, empowering law enforcement to hit criminals where it hurts and keep doing it. It will also clarify, streamline and strengthen our existing information-gathering and confiscation mechanisms to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement outcomes. As I've said, we need to concentrate on the business models of these groups.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 19 Aug 2026

“But this bill is a necessary step. It increases the penalties, improves investigative powers, strengthens the proceeds-of-crime laws, supports a more joined-up Commonwealth response and sends a clear message that the Commonwealth is not only concerned with packets being sold at the counter but is also concerned with the networks, the money and the structures behind the illicit trade, and that is the right approach. People in Moore are entitled to expect better, and I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 14 May 2026

“Smoking still kills, on average, 66 Australians every day and accounts for 20 per cent of the nation's cancer diagnoses. Two out of three long-term smokers will die of a tobacco related illness. This bill represents a measured, targeted and proportionate response to a growing national problem. It strengthens penalties, improves investigative powers, enhances proceeds-of-crime mechanisms and reinforces cooperation between governments and law enforcement agencies. Most importantly, it sends a very clear message that illicit tobacco crime will be treated with the seriousness it deserves.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“No-one expects this bill to solve everything, but communities expect us to act. They expect us to back lawful businesses, they expect us to protect public health, and they expect organised crime to face consequences. People in Hasluck don't want criminal activity becoming part of the background noise of everyday life. They want safe shopping strips, thriving local businesses and confidence that the rules apply equally to everyone. This is why I support the passage of the Combating Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026. This legislation matters. It's not simply a question of tobacco policy, and it is not simply a question of the integrity of the revenue base. This is a question of organised crime and, above all, community safety.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 19 Aug 2026

“It is going to have to be complemented by reforms at state levels, reflecting those in South Australia and Queensland that deal with leases and things on the ground. This is part of the solution but not the entire solution. I think it is important that we all acknowledge that this isn't a package that will get the job done by itself, but it is an important piece of the puzzle. It would be a great shame if anyone in this chamber voted against it simply because it is not a package that gets the whole job done itself.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“I rise to speak in support of the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026. This legislation responds to a problem that has changed rapidly in recent years. Illicit tobacco is no longer a problem on the edge of the economy; it has become tied to organised criminal activity, community safety concerns and growing risks to public health. Across the country, illegal tobacco products are being sold through unregulated networks with no oversight, no safety guards, no safety standards and no accountability for what these products actually contain. At the same time, criminal groups are making billions of dollars from the trade and using those profits to fund other serious criminal activities.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“This bill is a necessary, proportionate, evidence-based response to a rapidly growing organised crime threat. It strengthens penalties. It expands law enforcement powers. It ensures that the proceeds of crime regime can be used to seize the profits that drive this trade. It builds on our government's strong record of action: record funding for the Australian Border Force, the appointment of the first Illicit Tobacco and E-Cigarette Commissioner and unprecedented cooperation across jurisdictions. It sends a clear message to organised crime that the days of low risk and high reward are over. This parliament has a responsibility to protect communities, to uphold public safety and to ensure criminal syndicates cannot profit from harm. That's exactly what this bill delivers.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“I rise to speak in support of the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026. There are two key purposes at the heart of this bill. Firstly, it seeks to reframe the risk-to-reward calculation for organised criminal actors by increasing penalties for offences to ensure they are commensurate with the harms caused by the illicit tobacco trade and, secondly, seeks to make the Proceeds of Crime regime more effective to pursue the confiscation of the proceeds, instruments and benefits of crime to undermine the profitability of the illicit tobacco market, which is the main motivation of organised crime.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 04 June 2026

“I would like to speak in support of the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026 and the stronger measures this government is taking to crack down on the growing illicit tobacco trade across Australia. This issue matters deeply to communities across Pearce. People are increasingly concerned about the growth of illegal tobacco and vaping products being sold openly in suburban shopping strips, near schools and in local commercial centres. They are concerned not only about the health impacts but also about the organised criminal activity that sits behind this trade. Across our communities, people can see that this problem has escalated dramatically. Illegal tobacco shops are no longer hidden away. They are operating in plain sight. Communities are rightly asking how criminal networks have become so brazen and so embedded in everyday neighbourhoods. This is no longer simply a matter of unpaid tax or regulatory noncompliance. It is now a serious organised crime issue, and it requires a serious and coordinated national response.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“I rise today in support of the original, unamended Combating Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026. In recent months, my office has heard from a growing number of people across Newcastle who are deeply concerned about the rise of illicit tobacco in our community. These are not abstract concerns. They're coming from local shop owners who are doing the right thing and struggling to compete with illegal operators. They're coming from families worried about the normalisation of cheap, unregulated cigarettes and they're coming from residents concerned about the organised crime that, too often, sits behind this black market. To those people who have taken the time to write or to call about this issue: I hear you, and this bill responds directly to your concerns.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“For Bass, this is not theoretical. It's on our streets. It's in our suburbs. It's affecting our small businesses. It's threatening public health. It's helping organised crime profit from addiction. This bill stands up to that. It protects public health, it backs legitimate businesses and it strengthens enforcement. It upholds the rule of law, and it says that Australia will not surrender decades of tobacco control success to criminal syndicates. I commend this bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“The government's objective is clear: shut down illegal shops, choke off criminal money and make illicit tobacco unprofitable. This bill advances that objective through higher penalties, through stronger proceeds of crime powers and through enhanced investigative capabilities. Together, these measures rebalance the risk-reward equation that fuels the trade in illicit tobacco. I commend this bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“Today I rise to speak in strong support of the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026. This is a vital piece of legislation that forms the central pillar of the Albanese Labor government's relentless crackdown on a trade that has for too long operated in the shadows of our economy while casting a very long and dangerous shadow over our communities. For many years, public perception of illicit tobacco was somewhat benign. It was perhaps viewed as a victimless tax dodge or a niche issue for health advocates. But today the reality on the ground and in our suburbs tells a far more sinister story. What we are witnessing now is no longer just a revenue problem or a regulatory hurdle; it is a serious organised-crime crisis, and it is a crisis that threatens the safety of our streets, the viability of small businesses and the health of the next generation.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 14 May 2026

“The Commonwealth funding to states and territories is now flowing, with $84 million extra to help put trained people on the ground, improve licensing and enable joint operations. AUSTRAC is working with the banks and service providers to shut down the money flows that keep illicit tobacco profitable. Hundreds of accounts have already been closed and payment systems stopped. This bill expands law enforcement powers to investigate illicit tobacco related offending and increases the consequences for criminal actors involved in the illicit tobacco market. It's a crucial step in addressing the rapidly expanding illicit market.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“By increasing the consequences for those dealing in the marketplace of illicit tobacco, we are further strengthening our ability to thwart the harms placed on our citizens, our shop owners, our businesses and our communities. Together, the reforms in this bill are aimed and will protect public health, support legitimate businesses and disrupt the organised crime networks that profit from the illicit tobacco trade. Our coordinated national response further ensures Australia remains safer, healthier and fairer for future generations to come. I commend this bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“I know that people in my community of Dickson are concerned about the proliferation of tobacco stores selling illicit tobacco and vapes. I too am concerned. Please know this government is doing everything it can with the states and territories to shut down the illicit tobacco and e-cigarette trade. This bill will disrupt and dismantle criminal syndicates, with tougher penalties and greater powers to detect and seize illicit tobacco and vaping products. I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“It would be a real shame if this bill was not supported by every member of parliament, because, as I said, it's not about ideology. It's not about politics. It is about shutting down illegal businesses, shutting down organised crime and ensuring that the number of people addicted to tobacco does not go up. That is our No. 1 priority here. That's why this government is focused and clear. These so-called tobacco wars are not just about illegal cigarettes; they're about human people and human lives. I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“I want to start by saying that we support this legislation and the spirit in which it's achieved, but I also want to reflect on just how inadequate it truly is. Let's look at the reality. Under this government, there has been a thriving illicit tobacco market that has fed organised crime across Australia, and nowhere has it been more acute than in my home state of Victoria. Frankly, it's an absolute national disgrace that this crisis has allowed itself to get to this point. We have seen Australian small businesses firebombed by criminal gangs as part of a turf war over an illicit product, and this didn't come out of nowhere.”

Liberal Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“Now, yes, the coalition will support this bill, but it goes a tiny fraction of the way. The problem will not be solved; it'll be absorbed as a cost of doing business by these super criminal networks operating in our community. This is about protecting children, backing parents and honest businesses, keeping organised crime out of my electorate and keeping the kids in my electorate out of the shopfronts of organised crime. We need to restore something basic: confidence that, when Australians see the law being broken in plain sight, the Prime Minister will stand up and act.”

Liberal Party • MP • 19 Aug 2026

“To the government: get on with your job and show some real leadership. The coalition will support this bill, but it is too little too late and does not deal with the real issues at hand.”

Liberal Party • MP • 14 May 2026

“Like so many government bills, it has an impressive-sounding name—Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill. Of course we want to combat illicit tobacco. The coalition are supporting this bill because something is better than nothing, but let's be up-front here. This is partial. It's inadequate. It is not going to make a significant difference to the illicit-tobacco crime crisis that we face. In fact, astonishingly, in the explanatory memorandum, the government's own words confirm that this is a wet lettuce. They say:”

Liberal Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“For these reasons, the coalition will support the bill. Supporting the bill, however, does not mean ignoring its shortcomings. The reality is that much of this legislation focuses on increasing penalties on paper. The government talks big about stronger penalties, it talks big about longer prison terms, it talks big about larger fines, but penalties only matter if criminals believe that they will actually be caught. The central challenge is not simply the size of the penalty; the central challenge is enforcement. Courts already have significant penalties available to them, yet criminal organisations continue to operate because they do not fear being caught. That is why stronger enforcement must sit alongside stronger penalties. Without meaningful disruption, criminal organisations will simply adapt, and they will continue to operate.”

Liberal National Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“However, the coalition will support the bill, because we believe some tools are better than none, but this government must implement a far more comprehensive strategy to restore the rule of law. A serious response to the crisis must move beyond paper penalties and focus on actual disruption, confiscation and closure. This government should coordinate with the states to introduce immediate nationwide store closures and lease termination provisions. If a business is caught selling illicit tobacco, authorities must have the power to padlock the doors, cut the utilities and cancel the commercial lease immediately. This government must make it physically and financially impossible for these illicit shopfronts to operate.”

Liberal National Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this bill. While I'll support the bill, I ask the government to please understand that the challenges that we are facing are far more significant than what this bill tries to address. Unless we have the courage to look that in the eye, face up to it and legislate for it, we'll be back here again, unfortunately, with even more perverse outcomes.”

National Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“I rise to speak on the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026. This bill is before the House because Australia is no longer dealing with a small compliance problem. Under Labor we are dealing with a black-market crisis, a public health crisis, a law and order crisis and a crisis of confidence in government policy. This did not happen by accident. It is not something Australia can blame on events overseas. It is homegrown, and responsibility sits firmly with Labor. The bill increases penalties, expands investigative powers, allows telecommunications interception in illicit tobacco investigations and strengthens unexplained-wealth, search warrant and proceeds-of-crime powers. Those are serious tools and they are needed, but let us be honest about why we are here.”

National Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“I support strong enforcement against organised crime. I support stronger penalties for criminal syndicates. I support targeting the money that fuels these operations. And I support giving law enforcement the tools they need to dismantle criminal networks, because if criminals lose the profits they lose the incentive. I will support the passage of the bill because any improvement is better than none, but it is not at all sufficient. Labor has lost control of illicit tobacco, and this bill does not provide the comprehensive solution that is now required.”

National Party • MP • 22 June 2026

“The coalition will support the passage of the Combating Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026, and we will do so on the basis that it might assist law enforcement agencies and courts in dealing with the very serious problem of illicit tobacco. However, let's also be very clear: this bill is a minor and belated response to a crisis that has exploded under the Albanese government. Across Australia, illicit tobacco is at the core of what has become a multibillion-dollar black market. It is directly tied to organised crime, violence, intimidation and highly dangerous criminal activity. Its distribution has become a major criminal enterprise throughout the nation. Illegal tobacco stores are growing across Australia. Firebombings and violent attacks linked to organised criminal syndicates have become alarmingly common, and legitimate retailers are being undercut. Communities are being increasingly exposed to shocking criminal activity in this field, and, in short, the response of the Albanese government, after creating this very crisis in the first place, has been hopelessly insufficient.”

Liberal Party • MP • 14 May 2026

“When it comes to law enforcement, the easiest way to do this—this is something I've been pushing for; I made speeches on it when in government—is for the states to have a penalty notice regime. The Commonwealth powers—the legislation changes and the stronger penalties—are fantastic, but the state and territory police are not going to use them. Even the surveillance powers and search warrants—again, the Australian Border Force can't use these powers. I say to the government: you need to give the Australian Border Force the surveillance powers, the telephone intercept powers, because they have to call on the Australian Federal Police when they're with these operations, with the Illicit Tobacco Taskforce. If members are seconded there and the ones who aren't have another operation—it could be a paedophile ring or major drug trafficking—that's always going to get priority. We need the Australian Border Force to get that priority.”

Liberal Party • MP • 14 May 2026

“So I support this bill, because communities like Warringah want practical action. Parents want to know that children are not being targeted with addictive products. Schools want support, not another wave of nicotine products in bathrooms or playgrounds. Honest retailers want a level playing field, and the community expects that organised crime should not be able to build a billion-dollar market out of addiction and poor health outcomes.”

Independent • MP • 19 Aug 2026

“I support this bill. Increasing penalties will create a greater deterrence, and the expanded unexplained-wealth powers are particularly important. They go after the money, not just the product. Criminal networks that absorb seizure losses as a cost of doing business are far more vulnerable to asset confiscation. But I have to be honest about what this bill alone cannot do. Illicit tobacco has reached a crisis point. Failure to act on an emerging and growing issue—by both sides of parliament, but particularly by the government, who's been responsible for the last four years—has increased the complexity and cost of addressing it.”

Independent • MP • 22 June 2026

“I rise to support the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026. Smoking still kills about 66 Australians every day. After decades of hard work, daily smoking rates halved between 2001 and 2022 from 22 per cent to 11 per cent. Australia was a genuine world leader in tobacco control. The illicit market now threatens to undo much of that progress, fuelling organised crime and hooking a new generation. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, the combined rate of smoking and vaping has climbed back to 28 per cent, higher than it was a decade ago, and that's a trend that should alarm every member of this House. The illicit tobacco market is now estimated to be larger than the combined Australian illicit market for cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy. So the case for stronger enforcement is clear.”

Independent • MP • 22 June 2026