I will just point out that the minister’s claim that the only part of the bill that deals with e-cigarettes is in the provisions to ban advertising of e-cigarettes, on page 3 of the bill, in the objects of the bill, under the heading ‘means for achieving objects’, paragraph 3(2)(a) says it is also about ‘limiting the exposure of the public to communications, recommendations or actions that may persuade people to … start vaping or continue vaping’. Paragraph (3)(2)(b) reads ‘reducing the appeal of regulated tobacco items and e-cigarette products to consumers’. The objects are full of references to e-cigarettes. So if you’re going to put e-cigarettes in the objects of your bill, it’s perfectly relevant to ask questions and raise points about e-cigarettes. Your bill wants to try and reduce the use of vaping. One of the objects of the bill is also to reduce the use of smoking, and I am of the view that one way we can do that is to seek and encourage people to switch from smoking to e-cigarettes, which are much better for their health.
Can the minister outlined where in the WHO framework it says that politicians can’t meet with big tobacco? Because I’ve had a look at it, and it seems to me—and I have been told by others—that it does give scope for governments to meet with tobacco companies. I think they call it the ‘tobacco industry’ in terms of big tobacco. You can meet with the tobacco industry for the purposes of public policy, which makes sense given the points I was making earlier. Can the minister outline exactly where in the convention it says we cannot meet at all with such bodies?
