Shadow Treasurer Thinks Slashing Tobacco Tax Will Save Us From Smoky Crime Rings
KEY POINTS
- â˘Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson proposed a tobacco plan to net an extra $2bn annually by curbing black market sales.
- â˘Wilson's idea involves reducing excise taxes and increasing enforcement to disrupt illegal tobacco trading.
- â˘This debate arises amid fears investors hold about inflation pressure rebounding due to spiking oil prices.
On September 3, 2026, Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson rolled out a master plan to wave goodbye to the black market's sneaky tobacco trade and say hello to a $2 billion jackpot. His strategy? Rolling back excise taxes to make legal smokes more attractive, despite competing against the governmentâs One Nation party, whose manifesto basically screams 'tax cuts or bust.' According to Wilson, the government's fixation on tax cuts is ironically whatâs driving illicit cig purchases, so logically, cutting excise while ramping up enforcement is their grand combo move to both boost revenue and play crimefighter. Timâs pitch: stop the black market by making cigarettes less of a felony daredevil stunt. This comes as investors, probably clutching their overpriced lattes, sweat that surging oil prices could try to restart inflation â like that one sequel nobody asked for.
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(1 of 3)Shadow Treasurerâs brilliant plan to fight black market tobacco: lower taxes so everyone can comfortably smoke legally while feeling like criminals anyway.
The biggest plot twist: cutting tobacco excise to fight illegal smokes sounds exactly like lowering speed limits to stop crazy drivers.
Tim Wilsonâs new anti-contraband wizardry proves once again that throwing money at a problem means the government keeps some for itself.
Source: Theguardian | Published: 9/3/2026 | Author: Nick Visser
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