Pursuant to the committee's functions set out in paragraph 7(1)(g) of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Act 2010, the committee will examine the use and consequences of illicit tobacco in Australia, including the importation of contraband, counterfeit, and unbranded tobacco as well as domestically grown illicit tobacco.
In particular, the committee will examine:
- the nature, prevalence and culture of illicit tobacco use in Australia, including in indigenous, regional and non-English speaking communities;
- the role of Commonwealth law enforcement agencies in responding to the importation, use, manufacture, distribution and domestic growth of illicit tobacco;
- the loss of revenue to the Commonwealth arising from the consumption of illicit tobacco products;
- the involvement of organised crime, including international organised crime, in the importation, distribution and use of illicit tobacco in Australia;
- the effectiveness of relevant Commonwealth legislation; and
- other related issues.