The sake of our health

and a cursory police inquiry found no crime had been committed.

In 1972, the incoming Labor government passed legislation to retrospectively validate the actions of British Tobacco and all government staff, and to indemnify all participants from prosecution or civil action.

This legislation included a draft provided by British Tobacco.

In the 1980s we saw an attempt to bribe a politician which led to the Carter Royal Commission and the jailing of Edmund Rouse. Fast forward to 2015 when Quentin Beresford, in his book The Rise and Fall of Gunns Ltd, examined corporatism in relation to the forestry industry in Tasmania and called for a royal commission.

This year concerns were expressed by Andrew Wilkie MHR and James Boyce about events of the 1970s relating to Federal Hotels’ involvement with Kevin Lyons MHA, and Police Commissioner Darren Hine has agreed to re-examine the files relating to these events.

In 2017, we have a government which has produced a health policy including recommendations from a submission written by Imperial Tobacco.

Tasmanians deserve health strategies based on health research evidence, not to make more profits for big tobacco, kill more citizens and crowd public hospitals with sick smokers.

A royal commission is needed into the structural factors in Tasmania that lead to crony capitalism, and potential corruption.

These distortions of ethical public policy and the reasons why any Tasmanian politician can think it is reasonable to subvert principled behaviour must be examined in an independent public forum, with powers to call witnesses and to report to Parliament. Dr Kathryn Barnsley has engaged in tobacco control for 20 years. She helped develop Tasmanian legislation on display of tobacco products, smoke-free areas and sales to minors and has a PhD in tobacco control policy.