FED:Libs distance party from tobacco ads

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2010
FED:Libs distance party from tobacco ads

CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - The Liberal Party has denied it is involved in a tobacco company-funded
anti-Labor advertising blitz, saying it would also consider implementing plain packaging.

Howard government advisers and Liberal Party strategists reportedly have helped devise
the $5 million ad campaign by a group of allied retailers.

The Alliance of Australian Retailers, funded mainly by British American Tobacco and
Philip Morris, wants to stop proposed laws for plain packaging of tobacco.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott told ABC Radio in Brisbane his party had "absolutely
nothing to do with any sort of pro-smoking campaign".

If the coalition was elected to power on August 21, it would "certainly consider" implementing
plain packaging, he said.

Liberal senator Cory Bernardi said he was confident the party was not involved with the alliance.

"If they want to talk about who is captive to spin doctors and special interests you
have to look no further than the Labor Party," he told Sky News.

Crosby Textor, the market research and polling company which advises the Liberal Party,
has denied any involvement in the ad campaign despite assertions it had organised research
for the ads.

The firm issued a statement on Wednesday denying the allegations.

"Crosby Textor is not involved with either the alliance or its campaign," it said.

"Crosby Textor is not involved in any capacity with the Alliance of Australian Retailers
and any suggestion to the contrary is completely false."

The alliance denies the Liberal Party is involved in its campaign.

"That's definitely untrue," spokeswoman Sheryle Moon said of the News Limited report.

Anti-smoking groups have moved quickly to slam the ad blitz, saying it is all about
protecting the interests of big tobacco companies.

"This campaign is purely about an industry terrified of declining profits and one that
will do anything to save its bottom line," Quit executive director Fiona Sharkie said.

But Ms Moon said it was more about regulation of the measure because it added time
to transactions and was costly for business.

"Those transaction times cumulative add up to more time and more cost for small business,
particularly if I am a single owner-operator in a corner store."

Ms Moon said the campaign, which cost "around" $5 million, would run until the policy
was overturned.

AAP ah/rl/dep/bwl

KEYWORD: POLL10 TOBACCO UPDATE

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.