Victoria to introduce tobacco licensing scheme amid firebombings

Well, Premier Jacinta Allen has announced she will give police stronger powers to crackdown on the black market tobacco trade. State political reporter Mark Santomartino joins us. Mark, will this help end Melbourne’s tobacco wars? Well, no is the short answer, even from Victoria’s top cop Steph. Criminals are famous for ignoring the law after all. But knowing who is selling cigarettes, where and to whom is a step in the right direction. As taxes and prices have increased, so too has the market for illegal smokes. And in the past year more than 60 arson attacks, 2 murders and several shootings have been linked to that black market now, unlike every other state and territory in Australia right now. You don’t actually need a license to sell cigarettes in Victoria. There have been recommendations to change that for years, and this morning Jacinta Allen announced that her government was finally ready to act on those recommendations. We will be introducing a tobacco retailer and wholesale licensing scheme in Victoria. It will assist government in understanding, you know, what tobacco products are being sold where and most importantly, to whom. This does nothing to address the root cause of of crime, which is excessive tobacco taxes. Only eight weeks ago, the Allen government laughed at this suggestion. It’s a welcome backflip, but let’s do the work and get it done. Steph. The Premier says the new laws will go to Parliament later this year. Changes will be phased in after that. Police wanted this change, but they won’t be the ones enforcing it. That responsibility will fall to a yet to be named government agency. Steph. OK, thank you, Mark.