Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products.

The Office of the Auditor-General today responded to a request by Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall to investigate the Government giving a $216 million tax break to a single tobacco company, saying it could not investigate because it is not in their mandate to investigate allegations of corruption or criminal behaviour, or to examine the reasoning contributing to a government policy decision, including the extent to which industry lobbying influenced that decision.

“The Prime Minister could alleviate these concerns right now, by being transparent with New Zealanders and disclosing where conflicts of interest lie in his Cabinet,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.

In parliamentary questions, Christopher Luxon has dodged questions confirming if any conflicts of interest were declared and managed by cabinet ministers in regards to their association with the tobacco industry.

“The spotlight should remain on Associate Health Minister Casey Costello and why her policy so clearly mirrors that of a Philip Morris strategy document and gives them millions in tax breaks to encourage people to keep buying their harmful products,” Ayesha Verrall said.

“This refusal should in no way let New Zealand First off the hook. They still need to explain why keeping people hooked on a harmful product is in the interests of New Zealanders’ health.

“The Auditor-General’s response also highlights the inability of New Zealand institutions to cope with interference by vested interests.

“There is no law in New Zealand that gives effect to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which New Zealand signed up to more than 20 years ago. One of the obligations of that framework is to protect smokefree and tobacco control policy from interference by tobacco companies.

“In this past year, we’ve witnessed transformative smokefree legislation by the previous Labour Government overturned in favour of policy that mirrors that of the tobacco industry.

“The murkiness of a policy document that came into Casey Costello’s office by mysterious methods that mirrors Philip Morris strategy, plus her inability to explain how heated tobacco products are good for health call into question her acting in the best interests of New Zealanders’ wellbeing,” Ayesha Verrall said.

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