MLC draws on Twiggy’s ciggie stance

THE Tasmanian Upper House MP behind a radical push to ban the sale of cigarettes to those born after 2000 has been buoyed by the similar stance taken by a high-profile and unexpected ally.

Mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest is pushing for laws in every state to lift the age that people can start smoking to 21 — to rob the tobacco industry of its major source of new customers.

The WA-based mining identity spoke to Premier Will Hodgman and Health Minister Michael Ferguson this week in a bid to convince them that Tasmania needs to better protect its young people from tobacco addiction.

Independent Ivan Dean’s Tobacco Free Generation Bill is still on the Tasmanian Legislative Council’s books — despite previous reports that it had failed.

The Bill was referred to a committee, which came back with a finding that it was not discriminatory and could move forward with further Upper House debate.

Debate is expected to continue in the last months of this year or early next.

Mr Dean is also seeking an amendment banning smoking around schools and hospitals by extending the “nonsense” non-smoking area around public buildings from 3m to 10m.

“I am absolutely over the moon that a similar idea has gained such high-profile support,” he said yesterday.

“We have made contact with Mr Forrest’s office and he will meet with us and SmokeFree Tasmania when he next visits the state.

“We will provide him with a briefing on what the TFG is about. There are a lot of similarities between our proposals and we support lifting the legal age at which Tasmanians can start smoking.

“The main difference is, however, that I want to negate the message that it is OK to start smoking at any age.”

The State Government last year backed away from a proposal to increase the minimum legal smoking age in Tasmania to 21 or 25.

Mr Dean said he would continue to watch what was happening around the world and what precedents were set.

Earlier this year, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order banning smoking in public across the country.

The ban, which carries a maximum penalty of four months in jail and a fine of 5000 pesos ($100), covers indoor and outdoor smoking.