NSW Labor MP Stephen Lawrence is slamming federal Labor for its tobacco tax policy, calling it one of Australia’s biggest policy failures. He says skyrocketing cigarette prices have fueled a booming black market, fueling crime and violence — with billions in revenue now funding organized crime. Lawrence, leading a NSW parliamentary inquiry, argues the government’s refusal to cut taxes stems from ideology and cash flow, not public safety. At the ALP National Conference, he warned that online illicit trade is now sophisticated and hard to stop, urging Health Minister Mark Butler to act. He insists state enforcement alone can’t win this battle — the real fix lies in rethinking how tobacco is taxed to avoid empowering criminal networks.
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