Last week, One Nation announced it would cut tobacco excise by 75 per cent.

Not to be outdone, Opposition Leader Angus announced that the Coalition would cut it by 80 per cent.

What’s next, a One Nation cut by 100 per cent followed by a Coalition cut of 120 per cent? Either way, these policies are reckless and irresponsible.

The previous Labor government hiked tobacco excise as an anti-smoking measure that it combined with plain packaging of cigarettes.

Plain packaging was intended to remove the prestige associated with cigarette smoking.

Advertising implied that smoking Peter Stuyvesant would take you all around the world – to Paris, Rio, Monte Carlo, Acapulco and more.

Benson & Hedges in the gold pack was for you when only the best would do. The Marlborough man was to impress rugged outdoorsmen. And so on.

The big tobacco companies challenged the government in the High Court and lost. They resorted to international forums and lost there too.

Ministers such as Nicola Roxon and Wayne Swan were resolute. So was I as........

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