1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Well, the pressure keeps piling on this government over its 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: handling of smoking policies. This week, the reports have focused 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: on tax cuts that the government is giving one tobacco product, 4 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: it's a heated tobacco product made by Philip Morris, and 5 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: the cuts to the tune of two hundred and sixteen 6 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: million dollars. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello is with us 7 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: on this Casey. Hello, Hi, how are you well? Thank 8 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: you Casey. This feels like a complete non story to 9 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: me because I'm reading this morning that Philip Morris has 10 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: actually just pulled this product off the shelves. 11 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, and this is the unfortunate thing. The noise around 12 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 2: the two hundred and sixteen million was a contingency sum. 13 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 2: Our total excise collected was for related tobacco products not 14 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 2: smoking was about six million, just under six million and 15 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,279 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three, so the and heated tobacco was a 16 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 2: portion of that six million. So this two hundred and 17 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 2: sixteen was a contingency sum put into the budget to 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 2: capture in case there was this massive turnaround. But they're 19 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 2: there won't be and as you've sayen now. 20 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: Turn around, you would like every single one of us 21 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: will suddenly take the fags up. 22 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, this is the thing is that the only 23 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 2: country that they could find to compare us to was 24 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 2: Japan around using heated tobacco as a sea station tool. 25 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 2: Japan doesn't have vaping, so that was the differential, and 26 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 2: that was kind of where things got distorted. So this 27 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 2: two hundred and sixteen million was you know, it was 28 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 2: never going to be that, and we and you know, 29 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 2: people need to be reminded, we have no excize on 30 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 2: vaping at the moment, so you know, this is a differential. 31 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: We were looking for sea station tools. You know, we 32 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 2: lost the subscussion which to get people to quit. 33 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: Are you were saying there's no x scize on vaping. 34 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: Therefore you were basically taking the x sise off the 35 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: heater tobacco products and putting them on a level playing field. 36 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 2: Well, we were trying to make it we're only taking 37 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: fifty percent off, and we were trying to lot to 38 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 2: see if you know, you've got hardcore smokers that vaping 39 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: hasn't worked forward. So creating a differential between the price 40 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 2: of a packet of cigarettes and a vaping product a 41 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 2: heated tobacco product was to see if we could get 42 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 2: people who were hard core addictives markets and that's the 43 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 2: people we're targeting to quit smoking. And we're on a 44 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 2: journey in Casey. 45 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: Is there any other company? Are there any other heated 46 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: tobacco products on the market other than the one that's 47 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: been pulled off in New Zealand? 48 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 2: In the in the world there is, but not in 49 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: well And this is where we know there are other 50 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 2: heated tobacco products in New Zealand that aren't but I 51 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 2: you know, I don't know what the products are. And 52 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: what we were trying to see is if there's an 53 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 2: opportunity to present these alternate products. We know they were being. 54 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: Used, but this was the big player open. 55 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, this was the big place. 56 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: Is it going to any laws? 57 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 2: Well, this is what I don't know. I am this 58 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 2: emphasizing I have no relationship to the tobacco industry. I 59 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 2: don't know what they're doing. I have I'm completely blind 60 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 2: to what they're doing. Well, they're looking. 61 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: At to believe because I know what they're doing, and 62 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: you're the minister, so I suspect you know a lot 63 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: more than you're letting off. I've been told that this 64 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: is going to relaunch because the particular product's been pulled 65 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: off the shelves falls foul of your new rules, they 66 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: will relaunch and it will be in line with your 67 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: new rules. 68 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 2: Well, and this is what I'm hoping is that we 69 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 2: do get alternate products. This is what I want to achieve. 70 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: There's alternate products to get people to stop smoking, and 71 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: if the market is available, that there is a demand, 72 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: which I think there is, because there are people who 73 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 2: want to quit smoking, and bathing hasn't worked, and the 74 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: other tobacco nictine replacement treatments haven't worked. So we're trying 75 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: to get these hardcore addicted smokers to. 76 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: Have something to me. Okay, you guys have been copying 77 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: it in various media outlets for the last few days 78 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: over this, and frankly for weeks over the tobacco policy. Right, 79 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: perfectly legitimate situation. The explanation that we're getting today makes 80 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: perfect sense. But why is this the first that we're 81 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: hearing of it? Why aren't you guys fronting on this 82 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: and defending yourselves. 83 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 2: Well, wait, I have This is the point, and this 84 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 2: is the Health Coalition. They became fixated on the tobacco industry, 85 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 2: not upon what we were trying to do, and I 86 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: have been putting this information out. I have been talking 87 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: to everyone that will listen. All of the information I've 88 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 2: sent out is include these details around the work we're doing. 89 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 2: And I've been spending all my time dealing with the 90 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 2: people who are trying to get people to quit smoking, providers, 91 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: the frontline workers, what tools do they need to get 92 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 2: people to stop smoking? And I will continue to do that. 93 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: Okay, see, I appreciate your time, mate, have a good day. 94 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: That's Casey Costello, Associate Health Minister. 95 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 2: Gies. 96 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: Don't get me started on the health coalition out. 97 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 2: Here or. 98 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: Very few people irritate me as much as that lot currently. 99 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: We will talk about it sometime For more from the 100 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks they'd be 101 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.