Summary

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The majority supported a motion introduced by Greens Senator Rachel Siewert. Motions like these don't have any legal force but express the will (or opinion) of the Senate.

What was the motion?

That the Senate—

(a) notes that 30 September 2010 marked the 60th anniversary of the landmark 1950 report by Doll and Hill in the British Medical Journal identifying beyond doubt that smoking causes lung cancer;

(b) acknowledges that since then more than 960 000 Australians have died because they smoked and that given current rates our nation will reach the millionth Australian death from smoking in 2013;

(c) welcomes the introduction of further measures to tackle smoking related harm, including plain packaging and increased taxation measures and the formation of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency;

(d) raises concern that, despite legislation banning tobacco advertising, major tobacco companies funded and directed a $5 million advertising campaign to oppose plain packaging during the recent 2010 Federal election; and

(e) calls on the Government to introduce measures to restrict the ability of tobacco companies to engage in all forms of tobacco promotion, including direct and indirect advertising, advertising through third parties, public relations activities, lobbying activities and donations to political parties.

Votes Passed by a small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 5 Yes 0 No
Bob Brown Tasmania Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Scott Ludlam WA Yes
Christine Milne Tasmania Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Australian Labor Party (84% turnout) 26 Yes 0 No
Mark Arbib NSW Yes
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Yes
Mark Bishop WA Yes
Carol Brown Tasmania Yes
Doug Cameron NSW Yes
Kim Carr Victoria Yes
Jacinta Collins Victoria Yes
Trish Crossin NT Yes
Chris Evans WA Yes
John Faulkner NSW Yes
David Feeney Victoria Yes
Michael Forshaw NSW Yes
Mark Furner Queensland Yes
Annette Hurley SA Yes
Steve Hutchins NSW Yes
Joe Ludwig Queensland Yes
Kate Lundy ACT Yes
Gavin Marshall Victoria Yes
Anne McEwen SA Yes
Jan McLucas Queensland Yes
Claire Moore Queensland Yes
Louise Pratt WA Yes
Nick Sherry Tasmania Yes
Ursula Stephens NSW Yes
Glenn Sterle WA Yes
Dana Wortley SA Yes
Stephen Conroy Victoria Absent
Don Farrell SA Absent
Kerry O'Brien Tasmania Absent
Helen Polley Tasmania Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party No
Alan Ferguson SA Deputy President Absent
Steve Fielding Victoria Family First Party Yes
Nick Xenophon SA Independent Yes
Liberal Party (87% turnout) 0 Yes 26 No
Eric Abetz Tasmania No
Judith Adams WA No
Christopher Back WA No
Guy Barnett Tasmania No
Cory Bernardi SA No
Simon Birmingham SA No
Sue Boyce Queensland No
George Brandis Queensland No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Helen Coonan NSW No
Mathias Cormann WA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Mary Fisher SA No
Gary Humphries ACT No
David Johnston WA No
Helen Kroger Victoria No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
Brett Mason Queensland No
Stephen Parry Tasmania No
Marise Payne NSW No
Michael Ronaldson Victoria No
Scott Ryan Victoria No
Judith Troeth Victoria No
Alan Eggleston WA Absent
Bill Heffernan NSW Absent
Nick Minchin SA Absent
Russell Trood Queensland Absent
National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 5 No
Ron Boswell Queensland No
Barnaby Joyce Queensland No
Julian McGauran Victoria No
Fiona Nash NSW No
John Williams NSW No
John Hogg Queensland President Yes
Totals (87% turnout) 34 Yes – 32 No