The Coalition says that, if elected, it would cut tobacco excise by 80 per cent and legalise vapes while regulating and taxing them, alongside nicotine pouches. It also pledges to increase law enforcement activity aimed at reducing the illicit tobacco and vaping market.
ABC Australia reports the plan includes steps to support enforcement to help shut down illicit trade. The West Australian frames the Coalition’s proposal as a strategy to weaken organised crime’s links to the black market by making cigarettes cheaper and bringing vapes into a legal, regulated system. Both accounts describe the same core elements—large tobacco tax cuts, legalisation of vapes, and measures targeting illegal supply—while differing mainly in how they characterise the motivation and expected impact on criminal networks.
