Cabinet has agreed to the controversial introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes. It would see New Zealand become the only country in the world after Australia to remove tobacco branding from cigarette packs.
But there's a catch: we're not really going to join the battle until the war's been won.
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia is about to deliver a king hit to big tobacco.
“The move to plain packaging would make more explicit what tobacco is – a product that kills 5000 people each year,” she says.
But the Government will first wait to see what happens with legal action on plain packaging in Australia. Late last year they were the first country in the world to introduce the packs. But the World Trade Organisation is investigating that decision, and whether it's legal to strip a product of its branding.
“Naturally the Government wants to be cautious and make sure we're doing the right thing,” says Ms Turia.
And crucially, the man who hits the go button couldn't muster up any fighting talk.
“If we can we will,” says Prime Minister John Key. “If we can't, we won't.”
The biggest tobacco company in the country – British American Tobacco – senses weakness, and isn't ruling out court action.
“We certainly think we are up to any legal challenges we face,” says Ms Turia.
But the minister couldn't give a definitive date on when the packs would be introduced.
“If everything went smoothly we should be able to expect that next year some time,” she says.
But of course, when you're up against multi-billion dollar tobacco companies, nothing is going to go smoothly.
Ms Turia will retire at the next election, and hopes this will be one of her biggest achievements. But big tobacco will fight all the way to ensure it isn't.
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