Plain tobacco packaging Health, Dame Tariana Turia) approved plain packaging in principle, a move that tobacco companies said they would strenuously oppose. From July to October 2012 the Ministry of Health undertook a consultation which attracted over 20,000 submissions (including overseas submissions) from public health groups and also the tobacco industry. In February 2013 Government decided to proceed with legislative change in alignment with Australia. A Bill to require the plain packaging of tobacco products – the Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill – was introduced on 17 December 2013. The Bill had its first reading on 11 February 2014. It was
Institute of Public Affairs diversity". In 2006, the IPA predicted that banning smoking in public places would increase the risk of passive smoking as smokers moved to private areas indoors, that illegal garage bars may be set up and that without cigarette smoke nightclubs would have to "deodorise sweat and flatulence" with scented smoke. In 2010, the IPA argued against the Gillard Government's plans to introduce plain tobacco packaging, criticising it on the grounds that plain packaging may not affect the consumption of those products and that plain packaging may infringe intellectual property rights in tobacco trademarks and logos. If so, it would represent