Hi John,
This week we saw the National Government fold to big tobacco while pretending to care about the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders.
The decision to repeal our smokefree laws means that plans to make tobacco less available and addictive have been scrapped. It also ended our hope for a smokefree generation.
Smoking is toxic. It’s our leading cause of premature death. But shockingly, National has confessed that the revenue from repealing smokefree laws would help them fund tax cuts. They are comfortable with more people taking up smoking to pay for a reckless political promise we all knew didn’t add up.
Christopher Luxon says he’s deeply committed to reducing smoking rates in New Zealand, yet his Government is making it easier for young people to buy tobacco. We’ve also seen the minister he put in charge unable to give straight answers to questions about tax breaks for tobacco companies.
It’s absolutely shameful.
Not only have they ignored public opinion, but they have ignored countless health experts and medical colleges, as well as advice from the Ministry of Health not to repeal the law in order to save lives.
After years of progress towards being smokefree, the Coalition is sending New Zealand backwards. This will cause so much misery, thousands of deaths and billions in healthcare costs in the coming decades.
Labour will continue to hold Christopher Luxon and his Government to account on this. The health of the next generation is too important.
Thanks,
Chris
P.S. I would like to encourage you to share your thoughts with Christopher Luxon <[link removed]> – it’s not too late for him to fix this and keep New Zealand’s future smokefree.
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