Press Releases

November 23, 2018: New Zealand’s Associate Minister of Health today announced plans to regulate vaping and smokeless tobacco products. The move supports “New Zealanders to be healthier by helping smokers switch to safer products”. Meanwhile, in Australia, e-cigarettes remain unregulated and unable to help Australians looking to quit smoking by providing them a safer alternative. It’s a ridiculous position, says the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS). “We welcomed the Government’s recent announcement to commission further research into e-cigarettes to help Australians quit smoking traditional tobacco, as these products have done overseas,” AACS CEO Jeff Rogut says. “But this process must not take years to materialise. The opportunity to help people exists today, New Zealand has shown its willingness to adopt a progressive approach for the good of its citizens, and Australia must do the same as a matter of urgency.” The AACS has consistently called for government to develop…

TRADE POLICY THE CASE AGAINST SUBSIDISED SUGAR The world is currently awash with subsidised sugar. The Indian government’s array of interventions in their sugar industry – from set minimum prices for sugarcane to export subsidies – has stimulated a boost in production completely out of step with global demand. View the full PDF

ASBFEO media statement attached. Small and family businesses are invited to complete a 5 minute survey on payment times and practices, available on the website: https://www.asbfeo.gov.au/payment-times Payment Times Review Launched

Service NSW will launch the Digital Driver Licence, the electronic version of the NSW Driver Licence, across NSW next year. This exciting new initiative will give people the option of showing their licence on their smartphone easily and securely. To prepare for the state-wide launch they are conducting a trial of the Digital Driver Licence from the end of November 2018. This will take place in selected postcodes in Sydney’s Eastern Beaches and in the greater Dubbo region. All NSW driver licence holders who live in the trial areas will be invited to take part in the trial. To participate, motorists will be required to download the Digital Driver Licence on their smartphone and show it when they need to demonstrate that they hold a valid driver licence, or to prove their identity or age. Businesses operating in both trial areas which check their customers’ proof of identity or age…

ROBERT BLACKMORE: We asked the Queensland Government why – what was the general reason for not having access to this stuff in supermarkets – alcohol accessibility in convenience stores and supermarkets – and essentially it was harm minimisation. Harm minimisation is the reason. Because we saw it- the reason why it was interesting to us, we saw a major supermarket advertising an alcohol product, a product- an alcoholic sort of product. You’re right, in Queensland we don’t have access to that. So we just dug a little deeper and we found out that yeah, no, that is the case in Australia, in Queensland, we have different rule. So the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores CEO is here, Jeff Rogut. And Jeff, I assume you would like alcohol in convenience stores and supermarkets in Queensland would you? Good morning. JEFF ROGUT: Good morning to you Rob. Well look certainly speaking from…