Jon Kaila: Victoria is spinning its wheels on a tobacco licensing scheme despite the city burning

Victoria’s tobacco wars have raged for more than 18 months with near daily firebombings. Yet the state remains the only one in Australia not to have a tobacco licencing scheme — something that has hampered police investigations.

“We need to act and we must act fast”.

These words were delivered without a hint of irony recently by chair of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC), Sarah Connolly, who had produced a report into tobacco and vaping controls.

The politicians on the inquiry were patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

Its “cornerstone recommendation” was to establish a nicotine licensing scheme.

Taxpayer dollars could have been saved if they just cut and pasted from a report way back in May 2022, which recommended the same thing.

Victoria has been hit with more than 100 arson attacks on tobacco shops. Picture: Supplied

The state government did nothing and now Victoria holds the title of being the only state or territory in Australia without such a scheme.

In the meantime, serious organised crime syndicates have been having a field day clambering for a bigger share of the lucrative black market.

We’ve seen more than 100 firebombings since March last year, a possible murder linked to the illicit trade, shootings and serious assaults.

As Victoria Police say, it is a miracle innocent lives have not been lost in the rampaging violence.

In July, the Herald Sun revealed there were 463 shops selling illicit tobacco or vapes in the electorates of the nine MPs on PAEC looking into the issue.

“This included a total of 25 illicit traders in my own electorate of Laverton, amounting to one every 3.5 kilometres,” Ms Connolly said.

“Whilst I think this analysis was actually designed to paint us as blind to an issue right under our noses, I for one welcome this information because it gives us an indication of just how serious this issue is.”

The Herald Sun can confirm all 25 are still operating and selling the illegal products —everything from overseas cigarettes in colourful packs to disposable vapes with or without nicotine.

Public Accounts and Estimates Committee chair Sarah Connolly. Picture: Supplied

The committee also stated smoking rates had declined from 22.1 per cent in 2001 to just 9.2 per cent today.

In fact, waste water testing shows it is just as popular as ever, it’s just that smokers are lighting up illegal cigarettes, which they cannot track.

Committee member Matthew Hilakari, who himself quoted the statistics, went on to say: “And data (should) be kept, because we do not actually know the extent of the problem – data on how much is sold, where it is sold and the stores that it is available at”.

Premier Jacinta Allan said in March — just as PAEC was getting up and running — that Victoria would get a tobacco licensing scheme by the end of the year.

It’s now October and no legislation has been seen yet.

“This chaos is playing out right in front of the government,” an industry insider said.

“It’s one thing for them to recognise that there is an obvious problem but after more than 100 arsons, multiple murders and assaults across Victoria all directly related to black market tobacco, when are they going to actually do something substantial to address it?

“The shops are still selling it and the fires are still raging — actions speak louder than words.”

But we do have another report.

In the words of Ms Connolly: “This is the stuff that matters ... We need to act and we must act fast.”

Indeed.

Originally published as Jon Kaila: Victoria is spinning its wheels on a tobacco licensing scheme despite the city burning