BLACK MARKET – AUSTRALIA

States attack federal Labor’s tobacco policy

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Original article by Mohammad Alfares, Lachlan Leeming
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Nov-25

The federal government is attracting growing criticism over its tobacco policy, including its refusal to reduce excise tax in order to combat the burgeoning black market. Tasmania’s Police Minister Felix Ellis says the federal government’s response to the illegal tobacco trade has been one of the "worst public policy disasters" in the world at present. He adds that Tasmania intends to crack down on the illicit trade, but warns that the issue needs to be addressed at federal level. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park says federal counterpart Mark Butler has ignored his call to reduce the excise tax.

CORPORATES
TASMANIA. DEPT OF JUSTICE, NEW SOUTH WALES. MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, DISABILITY AND AGEING

Illicit tobacco trade worst in the world

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Original article by Mohammad Alfares
The Australian – Page: 5 : 29-Oct-25

British American Tobacco’s chief corporate officer Kingsley Wheaton says criminal gangs have effectively seized control of Australia’s nicotine market. BAT estimates that 65 per cent of all cigarettes now sold in Australia are illegal, and that up to 80 per cent of the nicotine market – including vapes – is controlled by the black market. The London-based executive visited Australia earlier this year, and notes that while the UK has had a long-standing problem with the illegal tobacco trade, the level of criminality in Australia is much worse. Wheaton says the only realistic way to regain control of the tobacco market is to overhaul current policy settings, including a reduction in the federal government’s excise tax on cigarettes; this has risen by 75 per cent since 2019.

CORPORATES
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO PLC

Criminal charges for food profiteering

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 20-Mar-20

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton claims that some members of the community are profiteering from coronavirus-inspired demand for groceries. Dutton has warned that people who are found to be buying groceries in bulk in order to send them overseas or to sell them on the black market could face criminal prosecution. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud notes that Australia produces three times the amount of food that is consumed domestically, so there is no need for panic buying.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

ASIC, ATO target ‘phoenix’ advisers

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Original article by Duncan Hughes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Jul-17

Australia loses around $A3 billion a year as a result of companies being reborn, otherwise known as phoenix activity. Losses occur in areas such as taxation, salaries and superannuation payments. A taskforce comprising bodies such as the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and the Fair Work Ombudsman has been formed to try to combat the impact of phoenix activities, with advisers who try to encourage business owners to " rebirth" their company one of its main targets. The Black Economy Taskforce, which is investigating the cash economy, is also developing strategies to combat phoenix activities.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD

Call for $10,000 limit on cash deals to fight black economy

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Original article by Nassim Khadem
The Age – Page: 18 : 5-Jun-17

Putting an expiry date on $A100 notes is one of the options that Michael Andrew is looking at in a bid to reduce the impact of the cash economy on government revenue. Andrew, who is in charge of the Australian Government’s Black Economy Taskforce, says other options include making electronic transactions more attractive by reducing card fees and imposing a ban on all cash transactions over $A10,000. It has been estimated that the cash economy costs the Government up to $A15 billion, due to "illegal welfare payments" and foregone tax revenue.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. BOARD OF TAXATION, AUSTRALIAN CRIME COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SERVICE