Butler Supports Big Tobacco Sales!
- Pippa Starr
- Mar 28
- 2 min read
by Pippa Starr
28 March 2024
On no less than a dozen occasions, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler has claimed that vaping is what Big tobacco have done to hook a whole new generation to nicotine.
Just yesterday he told the ABC, "We're not only fighting big tobacco here, we're also fighting organised crime, but we're determined to do this."
On 25 December last year, 92 concerned petitioners signed my request to Mark Butler simply asking him "to take action to charge Big Tobacco under all appropriate laws for trying to hook a whole new underage generation to vapes."
At the outset, I will make it clear, I am no apologist for Big Tobacco or any other associated entity.
I think it was a fair and reasonable request to the health minister, as he has repeatedly stated that Big Tobacco was hooking a whole new underage generation to vapes, that he would be asked this key question. Afterall, he is in the box seat to hold big tobacco accountable, isn't he?
Instead, what I got back yesterday from the Health Minister was what can only be described as a protectionist response to help Big Tobacco sales. He flat out refused to address the question, which can only mean one thing, health minister Mark Butler is protecting Big Tobacco sales!
For all the big talk that Butler claims he is going to do to help Australian youths and protect them from being hooked to nicotine, he has shown himself for who he really is!
He has been caught out!
You see, big tobacco isn't hooking a whole new generation to nicotine products, rather it has been the failure of prohibitive policies on vapes by Mark Butler that has given the black market the fortitude to take over the market and sell to whoever they wish with very little to no enforcement, including to youths!
He can't deny the fact that he is protecting Big Tobacco now. He was given the ultimate opportunity to explain himself and has now been found out by not addressing the question on the petition that was replied to and signed off on 19/03/2025.
The cookie cutter response that was given is not only unacceptable, it has shown up the health minister for what he really stands for!
He isn't serious or even right when he claims "big tobacco are hooking a whole new generation.", in fact, it's an outright insult to Australian parents and teachers and a blatant lie to cover up his failures on policy measures he has implemented!
The petition here: https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN6879
The cookie cutter response here: