The IFP is a Party that advocates freedom of choice.  However, we also underpin our policies with Ubunthu - the English translation of which is Respect, Compassion and Integrity. 

How does this relate to smoking?  Directly, with regard to our selection of how much to regulate the tobacco industry for public protection and how much to leave to individual choice.

If there is a single industry that offers a classical model of the need for regulation of the private sector for protection of the pubic, it is the tobacco industry. 

The industry makes huge profits from promoting a habit that is the single most unequivocal cause of lung cancer, emphysema, coronaries, vascular disease, high BP and a host of other illnesses. 

It is no wonder the stock exchange looks forward to BAT (which posted a profit of 2.27 billion Pounds last year) as an independent player.  Yet, some representatives of this industry were technically tedious and intimidating in the path towards concretizing this legislation.  There was a brief period in the process of adopting this Amendment Bill when it appeared to have slipped off the agenda.  This would have negated the 2006 Amendment Bill as well, as the two are interdependent.

Members of Parliament stood their ground and we now have a completed Bill.
 

But one must not put it past the industry to try yet again to stall implementation through impacting regulations.  Unfortunately Parliament will play no role in regulations, which are considerable and left to the Minister for the sake of flexibility.  The committee resolves that the Department must come back with those to ensure that they support the purpose of the Bill. 

We have tried to keep tobacco sales off the internet and attempted to curb sly ways the industry sometimes uses to have so called "industrial communication" land up in school lockers, fostering smoking among the youth. 

The industry argues that we will not be able to implement these laws.  They could be right, but we have made an effort to limit the impact of a health scourge.  The public will have to play its roll in ensuring that these laws are enforced. 

I thank you.