The National Retail Association has shrugged off claims that it misled the Senate inquiry into e-cigarettes, saying it is not legally required to disclose who funded its campaign that supported Philip Morris’ position on vaping.

The NRA was the target of furious exchanges in the Senate as members of the Tobacco Harm Reduction inquiry cited revelations in The Australian Financial Review that tobacco giant Philip Morris had secretly channelled money to fund the campaign to legalise vaping.