ILLEGAL TOBACCO STORES STILL OPEN UNDER WA LABOR

Media Release

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May 13, 2026

ILLEGAL TOBACCO STORES STILL OPEN UNDER WA LABOR

Two months after new laws passed Parliament to crack down on illicit tobacco in Western Australia, not a single shop selling illegal cigarettes has been shut down.
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Questions asked by the Opposition in Parliament have revealed the Cook Labor Government has not issued a single interim, short-term or long-term closure order since the laws passed on 12 March.

Shadow Police Minister Adam Hort said the Government’s failure to act was sending a dangerous message to organised crime operating across the State.

“What’s the point of giving authorities tough new powers if the government refuses to use them?” Mr Hort said.

“The Cook Labor Government’s inaction is sending a dangerous message to criminals across WA that you’re free to run your illegal tobacco operations, because we’re not going to do anything to shut you down.

“WA was the last state in the country to introduce tougher powers and now we’re going to be the last in the country to actually enforce them.

“The Minister for Health’s failure to act with any urgency on this serious public safety issue is staggering.”

Other states have moved quickly from passing laws to actually using them against illegal tobacco operators.

Queensland has set the benchmark, issuing 148 store closure orders less than three weeks after its laws passed Parliament, with South Australia and New South Wales also moving faster from passage to enforcement than Western Australia has managed.

“While other states are hunting down illegal tobacco operators, the Cook Labor Government is congratulating itself for simply passing laws they’ve failed to enforce,” Mr Hort said.

“Illegal tobacco operators should be looking over their shoulder. Instead, this Government is giving them every reason to believe nothing will happen.”

Mr Hort said the Opposition had earlier moved amendments to strengthen the legislation, including measures allowing landlords to evict tenants using their premises to sell illegal tobacco.

Those amendments were rejected by the Cook Labor Government despite strong support from industry stakeholders across Western Australia and the country.

“This government had the opportunity to back stronger laws and refused,” Mr Hort said.

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“They should immediately introduce the next tranche of legislation or support the Opposition’s amendments to give landlords the power to evict tenants doing the wrong thing.”