ASH Australia media release                                        September 14, 2005

Minor party/independent candidates strongest on smokefree licensed venues

Major party candidates falter on key health and OH&S issue

 

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Smaller party and independent candidates in Saturday’s NSW by-elections have shown a strong commitment to protecting public and employee health by: bringing forward the July 2007 smoking ban in pubs and clubs; and rejecting plans to permit smoking to continue in rooms with big doors and windows.

 

But major party candidates have favoured slower or weaker legislation or have not responded to the candidate survey on the issue by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia.  

 

ASH is publicising the survey results today to draw attention to: 

 

  • candidates’ attitudes over ongoing harm to staff and patrons in smoky pubs and clubs; and 

  • NSW’s poor commitment compared to other jurisdictions where governments have introduced earlier deadlines and smokefree laws without controversial loopholes that may allow smoking to continue in mostly enclosed rooms beyond 2007.

Candidates were asked five Yes/No questions testing their agreement that secondhand smoke is a serious public/workplace health danger; their support for comprehensive total indoor smoke bans including in mostly-enclosed areas; their support for ensuring that workers do not have to work in any smoky areas; their support for speeding up the deadline for indoor smoke bans (to Jan, July or Dec 2006); and their support for smokefree gaming areas.  

 

Commenting on the results, Anne Jones, Chief Executive of ASH Australia, said:

“Community opinion confirms that smoking bans have been too slow and that plans to allow smoking to continue in mostly enclosed rooms is not supported by the majority of people surveyed.”  

 

ASH and a coalition of health and union groups has written this week to the Premier Mr Iemma, and all other MPs, urging them to support comprehensive total indoor smoke bans – similar to Queensland and WA – where smoking will be banned in all areas where people are working, drinking and eating by July 2006.

 

 

CANDIDATE QUESTIONS  

 

1.	Do you agree that secondhand smoke is a serious workplace and public health hazard,
causing cancer, heart disease and respiratory illness?
YES / NO
2.	Do you support, and will you support in parliamentary votes, comprehensive total indoor
smoking bans in licensed venues, with smoking prohibited in all enclosed, including
mostly-enclosed areas?
YES / NO
3.	In Queensland, from mid-2006, smoking will be banned in all licensed areas where food
or drinks are served or where musicians or entertainers are working. Do you support, and
will you support in parliamentary votes, the same protection for NSW workers? 
YES / NO
 
4.	Do you support, and will you support in parliamentary votes, indoor smoke bans in NSW 
licensed venues being brought forward from the presently-proposed July 2007 deadline to: 
a.	January 2006 (in line with Tasmania)?        		YES / NO
b.	July 2006 (in line with WA and Queensland)? 		YES / NO
c.	December 2006 (in line with the ACT)? 			YES / NO
5.	Do you support responsible gambling and if so, do you agree and will you support in
parliamentary votes, that part of such a policy should be that all gaming areas are made
smokefree, in accordance with OHS law?
YES / NO 
 
CANDIDATE SURVEY RESULTS

In Marrickville, Carmel Tebbutt (ALP) supports the governments position including the longer deadline 
of July 2007. Candidates giving unqualified Yes responses to Questions 1, 2, 3 and 5 and favouring the 
earliest (Jan 2006) deadline were Sam Byrne (Greens), Lorraine Thomson (Save Our Suburbs), and Pip 
Hinman (Socialist Alliance). Michelle Bleicher (Democrats) favoured the slower deadline of July 2006 
but answered Yes to the other questions. Saidi Goldstein (Fred Nile Group) said yes to all Questions 
except qualified support for Q3 by supporting smoking outdoors.  Independents Alasdair Macdonald 
and Malcolm Woodward did not respond; independent Chris McLachlan was uncontactable.
In Macquarie Fields, candidates giving unqualified Yes responses and favouring Jan 2006 were Ken 
Barnard (Independent), Ben Raue (Greens), Denis Plant (Christian Democrats), and Bob Vinnicombe 
(One Nation). Nola Fraser (Liberal) supported the present July 2007 deadline but answered "Yes" to all 
other questions. No response was received from Steven Chaytor (ALP) or Janey Woodger (Australians 
Against Further Immigration).
In Maroubra, candidates giving unqualified Yes responses and favouring the earliest deadline were 
Elizabeth Smith (Christian Democrats), Anne Gardiner (Greens), and independents Kerri Anne Hamer 
and Nicholas Stepkovich. ALP candidate Michael Daley did not respond and Victor Shen (Fishing 
Party) could not be contacted.

                                                                          

   

Further comment:        
Anne Jones, CEO, ASH Australia  ph. (02) 9334-1876  m. 0417-227-879

 

Media inquiries:     Stafford Sanders   ph. (02) 9334-1823   m. 0412-070-194     

 

 

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