Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:32): (1419) My question is to the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation. Minister, when launching Victoria’s tobacco licensing scheme, you promised to ‘smoke out tobacco crime lords’. Victorian residents, in particular my Latrobe Valley residents, are reeling from increased incidents of alleged extortion and intimidation. Just days ago a man was abducted in broad daylight after a tobacco store owner refused to hand control of the business to a criminal gang. The victim was reportedly forced into a vehicle on Princes Drive in Morwell, taken to another location and assaulted with a knife before being abandoned. Minister, why is organised crime still expanding its influence in the Latrobe Valley despite the promises that you made when your scheme was introduced?
Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:34): Your government said tobacco licences would only be granted to fit and proper people and the scheme would disrupt organised crime. These are your terms. Given the alleged abduction and also ramming and firebombing in nearby Warragul, while new suspected illicit tobacco stores continue to emerge in Moe, is the problem a failure of your fit and proper person test, or is it a failure of enforcement?
The PRESIDENT: Given the minister’s answer, he can answer this one as he sees fit.