Marama Fox to receive Northland petition lobbying for smokefree cars

A petition calling for smokefree cars will be presented to Māori Party Co-leader Marama Fox today in Kaitāia.

Mrs Fox says “this aligns with the Māori Party policy to introduce a campaign promoting the prevention of people smoking in cars while children are inside the vehicle.”

“We’re very supportive of the Smokefree Northland Coalition Patu Pūauahi wanting to ban smoking in cars in its region and believe this policy should be extended across Aotearoa”, says Marama Fox.

The Northland Cancer Society reached out to Mrs Fox on behalf of the Coalition because the Māori Party has championed various smokefree initiatives.

“We will continue to work towards making Aotearoa smokefree by 2025 and will build upon the world leading efforts on tobacco reform that were undertaken by the former Māori Party Co-leader Hon Dame Tariana Turia”, says Marama Fox.

“The Māori Party has made huge strides including advocating for legislation to increase excise tax, banning retail displays of cigarette products and reducing duty-free allowances on tobaccos”, she says.

“We want the Government to be bold and introduce plain packaging legislation rather than waiting to see what the outcome of this idea is in Australia. If the Government is serious about addressing the problem then it needs to take action,” says Mrs Fox.

Marama Fox commends Patu Pūauahi for its petition, which she plans to deliver to Associate Health Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga and to the Māori Affairs Committee.

ENDS

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