Jump to full article: Canberra (ACT) Times (au), 2008-07-23
Author: ANDREW CLENNELL STATE POLITICAL EDITOR
Intro: BIG tobacco interests are threatening to split the Iemma cabinet on a proposal to ban cigarette packets from view in shops, with Philip Morris writing to all tobacco retailers to encourage them to lobby the Premier and senior ministers to scuttle the ban.
The Minister Assisting the Health Minister (Cancer), Verity Firth, will take a plan to cabinet in the next fortnight which would see the ban introduced more than four years after it was announced by the previous minister, Frank Sartor.
But cabinet is understood to be split on the proposal, with support from the Treasurer, Michael Costa, and Small Business Minister, Joe Tripodi, questionable.
Representatives from Philip Morris have met Mr Tripodi in an attempt to get his support in cabinet not to proceed with the ban, and have met members of Ms Firth's office on four occasions.
. . .
Philip Morris is understood to have made it clear to the Government that one of its main concerns is a loss of market share; it is attempting to wrest the No.1 spot from British American Tobacco. . . .
Imperial Tobacco is understood to have joined the fight against Ms Firth, launching freedom-of-information requests with NSW Health for correspondence between Ms Firth, the cancer institute and anti-smoking groups
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