WIN Party Media Release 18.11.2005

for immediate release

Smokefree Coalition director resigns

The timing of Smokefree Coalition director Leigh Sturgiss' resignation comes as no surprise to the WIN Party given the coalitions recent renegotiation of its contract with the Health Ministry but the WIN Party has mixed feelings over Sturgiss' imminent departure.

"Sturgiss' attitude towards smoking issues somewhat conflicts with the aims of the government funded coalition", says WIN Party leader John van Buren.

"Instead of focusing upon coordinating a campaign of education programs and initiatives designed to deter people from taking up smoking and to provide factual and constructive information designed to influence smokers to quit of their own volition, for the past twelve months Sturgiss has fixated almost exclusively upon issues surrounding the smoking ban in bars".

"Sturgiss' continued sniping at hotel licensees who dared challenge the new smokefree legislation did little to advance the Smokefree Coalitions cause, or to encourage acceptance of the ban, and taking shots at those licensees has helped galvanise the movement to have the legislation amended".

"While the WIN Party looks forward to Sturgiss' departure and replacement hopefully, with an open-minded, lateral thinking person, we do have reservations her departure will lessen public coverage of the damage the ban is having upon the hotel industry".

"Personally, I may rue the loss of Sturgiss, as she has certainly helped build WIN's profile and has generated considerable publicity for the party".

ENDS

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