Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
19 February 2013

Cigarette Plain Packs Will Keep Lawyers Busy for Years

New Zealand First is asking why the Government is introducing plain packaging of tobacco products while it is negotiating the deeply-flawed Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.

Rt Hon Winston Peters says giving the green light now to cigarette plain packaging will lead to expensive law suits from mainly US-owned companies as the Government negotiates away our sovereignty.

“The Government should tell us what is going on in the TPP negotiations.

“Like so much this Government touches, all of this just doesn’t make any sense.

“But following the Government’s defective logic, why don’t they introduce plain packaging on alcohol to tackle the massive social and criminal harm it inflicts on society?

“All plain packaging of cigarettes will achieve is the creation of the inevitable lawsuits which will cost New Zealand taxpayers millions of dollars.

“That is exactly what Australian taxpayers are facing after plain packaging of cigarettes was introduced across the Tasman on December 1 last year,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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Snow Forecast: Red Cross Prepares For Severe Weather Conditions

A Red Cross Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) is being set up in Christchurch to respond to the snow forecast for the South Island.

An Incident Management Team will be in place at the EOC from 10.00am tomorrow morning and Emergency Response Teams around the country are on standby.

South Island Emergency Management Officer Stephen Manson says that final preparations are underway to ensure the EOC is in a position to respond to emergency community needs as they arise. More>>