The acceptance of direct and indirect tobacco company donations by political parties has been criticised by health groups who are concerned that donations may influence government and party policies. The previously secret Philip Morris Corporate Affairs Plan revealed that at least one tobacco company set aside $100,000 a month to target politicians in Australia. The tobacco giant’s goals included:

"Audit political scene, set political targets (particularly with regard to new governments and in context of upcoming elections) meet with targets and start process of giving support. Block party caucus consideration of our issues"

Its long term strategy included "Significantly enhance ‘connectivity’ of PM throughout Australia, particularly connecting it with the political forces arguing for liberalism; … use the full range of tools used in US for political relations; develop appropriate corporate sponsorships of arts, political dialogue, business education etc" (refer www.philipmorris.com).

The nature of this lobbying has included both ‘official’ donations to political parties, as well as ‘gifts’ in the form of tickets to rock concerts, car races, the opera as well as the provision of hospitality worth thousands of dollars to Federal politicians.

Only the Australian Democrats have a policy rejecting the acceptance of either donations or gifts from the tobacco industry.

In April 1995 the Australian Medical Association called for all politicians to sign a pledge not to accept tobacco industry donations. Former AMA Vice-President, Dr David Weedon said that is should be unacceptable for any political party to accept donations, either directly or indirectly from tobacco companies. "Nearly 20,000 Australians die every year because they have smoked. Political parties have a responsibility to all Australians to ensure their public health advocacy is not influenced by tobacco money".

During the 1996 federal election tobacco companies pumped at least $230,000 into the three major parties, according to media reports (Telegraph 7/4/97).

It is possible that further donations were made through front groups such as the Liberal Party-linked Free Enterprise Council, which does not have to declare where its donations came from, but which donated a massive $3,000,000 to the Liberal Party in the 1995/6 financial year.

The Liberal Party defends its acceptance of tobacco company money, claiming that any suggestion that this practice was unacceptable inferred that the policy concerning the industry would be influenced by donations. More recently, Philip Morris sponsored the Liberal Party Convention in Brisbane.

While ALP Federal President Barry Jones agreed in principle with the suggestion that political parties should not accept tobacco company contributions, the national secretary of the ALP Gary Gray made it clear in a letter to the National Heart Foundation and NSW Cancer Council, that he would accept donations from tobacco companies if they were offered. Mr Gray stated this decision was premised on the fact that the ALP’s code of conduct for fundraising prohibited the acceptance of money that had conditions of any kind attached.

Such claims are understandably viewed with scepticism, particularly when they are compared to overseas experience. Last year, newly elected UK Prime Minister Tony Blair tarnished his reputation when he put himself in the embarrassing situation of having to return a $2.5 million (AUS) donation from Formula One motor Racing boss Bernie Ecklestone, after the revelation that New Labor had dropped its pre-election opposition to tobacco sponsorship of the Formula One Grand Prix.

In the USA, investigations have shown that the largest financial ‘donations’ are from ‘big tobacco’ with Philip Morris being the biggest contributor with donations of $4,208,505 (US) to candidates and political parties in the 1995-96 election (refer http://www.crp.org/crpdocs/bigpicture/top/bp.top100.2.html). However, the outlook is not so bleak in all US states, as in September 1997 the New York Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee (DACC) stated that it would no longer accept tobacco contributions. The DACC cited the recent admission by the Liggett tobacco company that nicotine was addictive and that tobacco companies have marketed to children as the reasons behind the decision.

A sample of Australian tobacco company links to politicians/political parties*

* Smoking Gun article in SMH 10/12/97, page 15 by Deborah Snow and Geoff Kitney

Despite the increasing public scrutiny and condemnation of politicians who are associated with tobacco companies, some members of both sides of parliament, including the Minister for Justice Amanda Vanstone and close adviser to the Prime Minister Senator Nick Minchin, continue to accept the hospitality of an industry whose products kill 18,000 Australians each year.

Health groups urge Australia’s political parties to support the Call to Action on Tobacco and make a pledge not to accept donations or ‘gifts’ from tobacco companies.