Hansard debates

... David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:45): I am pleased to speak on the Consumer Legislation Amendment Bill 2026. This is an omnibus bill that amends an entire range of acts: the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012, the Conveyancers Act 2006 et cetera et cetera. Suffice to say it does a lot of things....

... David LIMBRICK: I have a few questions about the changes to the Tobacco Act. In the second-reading debate I spoke about the new distribution model being adopted by organised crime – home delivery. In fact I was just talking with my colleague next to me and showing him some of these advertisements that are happening, and ...

... David LIMBRICK: Although this new distribution model at a retail level is all done online through home deliveries, it does require distribution hubs, so warehouses. Assuming that these warehouses have tenants, would they be subject to these closure powers? They are not actually conducting transactions onsite; they are storage facilities, presumably, ...

... David LIMBRICK: I watch these markets as closely as I can. One thing that I have noticed many of them advertising now is that their products are shipped directly from Brisbane, from Queensland. Would anything here actually affect that business model where presumably some warehouse is in Brisbane and it is being sold locally in Victoria?...

... David LIMBRICK: I thank the minister for that answer. Is it not the case that organised crime has already outsmarted the government with a new distribution model? It seems that the Victorian government cannot touch this distribution model, as far as I can tell. I imagine if I lived in Queensland, I would see ...

... David LIMBRICK: I would dispute the idea that somehow Queensland is doing things better. I went up to Queensland last year and you could buy vapes and tobacco anywhere. The idea that it is somehow being shut down by the Queensland government through their licensing scheme is just wrong. Anyone can see it for themselves. ...

... David LIMBRICK: I do accept that the federal government have caused this problem, and they have left state governments to pick up the pieces on this. That is why when I saw how angry Premier Minns was about it, I was like, ‘Well, he should be angry,’ and I think the Victorian government ...

... David LIMBRICK: There are lots of law-abiding landlords out there who buy commercial property as an investment. How can a landlord protect themself against this offence? If I am a landlord and I want to make sure that I am following the law and I do not trigger this offence, how am I going to protect ...

... David LIMBRICK: I do find the assumptions by the minister here to be very dangerous. If I am a landlord trying to comply with the law and I inspect a tenant’s premises and I find that they are conducting an illegal tobacco business and I am somehow obligated to report that because I will come under this offence ...

... David LIMBRICK: I actually like the part about being able to terminate lease agreements more easily; I think that is good. It is still dangerous, though. Can I just clarify then that if a landlord feels they are under either explicit or implicit duress because of bad people that are renting their property, that ...