Mr NATHAN HAGARTY (Leppington) (18:37): I make a short contribution to debate on the Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment (Landlord Offences) Bill 2025. That will disappoint you, Mr Temporary Speaker, as I know you love my contributions on these important matters. The bill seeks to amend the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008 to prohibit a commercial lessor from knowingly permitting their premises to be used for the sale of illicit tobacco or vaping goods. It also expands the scope of the statutory termination power to landlords of wholesale premises subject to a closure order and landlords of retail premises not captured by the Retail Leases Act. We have covered the reason for the bill. There has been an explosion in shopfronts and stores selling illegal tobacco over the past few years, and a multitude of factors have led to that. The Premier made a contribution in relation to this issue on the excise on tobacco and how basic economics tell us that that is a factor. When supply is pushed down, other markets will be created. The fact remains that this Government can do something, and this Government is doing something with this bill.
Members would have their versions of similar stories. Across the road from the public primary school that my kids went to is a tobacconist, where kids can see it. Those businesses sell things like Labubus and put Labubu on their packaging, designed to attract people who are underage and get them hooked on tobacco. We know about that scourge. This country has done significant work to bring down smoking rates. We have led the world on a number of initiatives over the past few decades, and I believe this is another time for us to do the same and bring tobacco consumption rates down. When I was on Liverpool council, we debated about how sex premises and other forms of development across the road from public schools are perhaps not appropriate. I am happy to speak to the relevant Minister about this, but we should include tobacco stores among them. But we are not here to debate that today.
The bill will allow additional powers in order to find and shut down premises that knowingly sell illicit tobacco and vaping products, which is a great move. The bill will expand existing provisions to allow landlords to terminate a lease for wholesale premises that are subject to a closure order, and it also expands the existing provisions for any retail shop premises that are subject to a closure order, not just retail shops captured under the relevant Act, which is the Retail Leases Act. Importantly, the Government has consulted widely and publicly through "have your say" surveys and targeted consultation with relevant health, retail and landlord bodies. The feedback obviously helped to form the content of the bill. The Minister has done fantastic work in this space, which I know he cares about very deeply. I commend the bill to the House.
