Queensland authorities to shut businesses down for suspected to sell illegal tobacco and nicotine products

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Queensland health authorities will be given the power to shut down businesses for three months. If they suspect they're selling illegal tobacco or nicotine products. Commercial landlords who knowingly allow tenants to break cigarette and vaping laws will also face tough penalties.

Transcript

00:00This Brisbane business is suspected of breaching tobacco laws.

00:06After a morning raid, authorities shut it down for three days

00:10in a coordinated effort targeting nine other stores

00:13as the government announced a new crackdown.

00:16The Christopher Lee government will be introducing into the parliament

00:19the toughest laws in the nation.

00:22Already the Department of Health can close a business on the spot for 72 hours.

00:27This will now increase to three months.

00:30For court imposed closures, this will climb from six months to a year.

00:34The government will also close a loophole that made it easier for stores to reopen.

00:39That loophole meant that while they couldn't trade in tobacco products,

00:42they could still sell other products.

00:45Commercial landlords will be empowered to terminate the leases of tenants

00:49who break tobacco laws.

00:51Importantly, the government will protect landlords in those circumstances

00:55by indemnifying them for any costs that might be made against them

00:58or claims that are made against them.

01:00These new laws will give landlords what we asked for.

01:04These laws will actually be, in our view, a model for the rest of the country.

01:08The government says landlords who knowingly allow illegal activity

01:12could face a $161,000 fine or a year in jail.

01:17What we do know, in some limited circumstances, is that landlords have been complicit

01:22with the traders.

01:23In Parliament today, the opposition took aim at Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber,

01:28questioning her about how she treats staff and public servants.

01:32Will the Minister guarantee to the House that they have never yelled at,

01:37hung up on or acted inappropriately to public servants as reported in the media?

01:43What those opposite are trying to raise is simply not the case.

01:46I do support the Minister because I've seen victim numbers fall for the first time in 10 years.

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