No Senate vote means no legal cigarettes next year

As the Senate failed to vote on the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill and the Trade Mark Amendment Bill this week British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) warned there could be no legal tobacco on retailer shelves from 1 July 2012.

Minister Roxon has set such tight timeframes for plain packaging she has made it impossible for the industry to comply with the legislation stuck in the parliamentary process.

BATA has stated since June that we would struggle to comply with timings and CEO David Crow has made it clear we won’t sell tobacco illegally.

We have to start making plain packaged cigarettes from 20 May 2012 and have no branded packs on shelves by 1 July 2012.