ILLEGAL TOBACCO STORES STILL OPEN UNDER WA LABOR

Opposition Media

May 13, 2026

Media Release | 13 May 2026

Adam Hort MLA
Shadow Minister for Police; Corrective Services; Youth

Two months after new laws passed Parliament to crack down on illicit tobacco in Western
Australia, not a single shop selling illegal cigarettes has been shut down.

Questions asked by the Opposition in Parliament have revealed the Cook Labor Government
has not issued a single interim, short-term or long-term closure order since the laws passed
on 12 March.

Shadow Police Minister Adam Hort said the Government’s failure to act was sending a
dangerous message to organised crime operating across the State.

“What’s the point of giving authorities tough new powers if the government refuses to use
them?” Mr Hort said.

“The Cook Labor Government’s inaction is sending a dangerous message to criminals across
WA that you’re free to run your illegal tobacco operations, because we’re not going to do
anything to shut you down.

“WA was the last state in the country to introduce tougher powers and now we’re going to be
the last in the country to actually enforce them.

“The Minister for Health’s failure to act with any urgency on this serious public safety issue is
staggering.”

Other states have moved quickly from passing laws to actually using them against illegal
tobacco operators.

Queensland has set the benchmark, issuing 148 store closure orders less than three weeks
after its laws passed Parliament, with South Australia and New South Wales also moving
faster from passage to enforcement than Western Australia has managed.

“While other states are hunting down illegal tobacco operators, the Cook Labor Government
is congratulating itself for simply passing laws they’ve failed to enforce,” Mr Hort said.

“Illegal tobacco operators should be looking over their shoulder. Instead, this Government is
giving them every reason to believe nothing will happen.”

Mr Hort said the Opposition had earlier moved amendments to strengthen the legislation,
including measures allowing landlords to evict tenants using their premises to sell illegal
tobacco.

Those amendments were rejected by the Cook Labor Government despite strong support from
industry stakeholders across Western Australia and the country.

“This government had the opportunity to back stronger laws and refused,” Mr Hort said.
“They should immediately introduce the next tranche of legislation or support the Opposition’s amendments to give landlords the power to evict tenants doing the wrong thing.”