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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-10-15 Daily Xml
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Illegal Tobacco Trade

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (14:38): Thank you, Mr Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right!

Mr BATTY: My question is to the Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs.

The SPEAKER: Sorry, member for Bragg, can you start again? The members on my right were being far too rowdy. I will give them all a blanket warning.

Mr BATTY: My question is to the Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs. Are 200 illegal tobacco stores operating in South Australia and, if so, why have they been allowed to continue to operate?

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (14:39): I thank the member for the question. We do have a serious issue around the country with illegal tobacco and vapes being supplied, particularly to our young people, and that is why the Malinauskas government contributed $16 million in the last state budget to allocate to Consumer and Business Services for a new task force to target this. We have had over 20 people be recruited to that area. We have undertaken a number of inspections and raids, not only CBS but also jointly with SAPOL, Border Force and other federal agencies and state agencies.

We are very much keen on seeing a reduction in the supply of illegal vapes and tobacco, not only for the health reasons, but as the member is aware there is a significant criminal element involved in the trade of illegal vapes and tobacco. We have, since 1 July, in only a matter of months, been able to take almost $2 million of illegal product off the market through CBS raids. That is a substantial amount. Those raids and inspections are continuing; that work between CBS and SAPOL is continuing. I want to thank the Minister for Police for his support of that work and the commissioner.

Of course, significant work needs to continue to be done. It is a substantial problem in our community. We certainly are seeing illegal product coming off the market. We obviously have a bill before the parliament which substantially increases the penalties that we can impose on these criminals but it also gives me the power to shut down stores, these shops as well, and Magistrates Court orders being able to be sought. That is going through the parliament, so I won't discuss that any further, but obviously we are very keen to see illegal vapes and tobacco coming off our streets and having these stores shut down and making sure those criminal elements cease infiltrating these stores in our community.

The SPEAKER: The member for Narungga?

Mr BATTY: A supplementary, sir?

The SPEAKER: We will see if it's a supplementary.

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