Housing Minister Clare O'Neil has stated that reducing the tobacco excise to combat the rising use of illicit tobacco will not help Australians quit smoking. A recent 7.30 investigation found that Australia's illicit tobacco market is expanding online, with numerous websites promoting cheap tobacco and vaping products.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that 80% of cigarettes and vapes consumed in Australia last year were illegal. O'Neil emphasized that reducing tax rates on tobacco would likely have two major effects: it would encourage more Australians to start smoking more frequently and would return billions of dollars to large tobacco companies across the country. "It's not the answer," she said in an interview with Channel Seven.

The government acknowledges that smoking rates in Australia are not improving as desired. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to deliver a speech in Sydney on Wednesday, July 15th, 2026, to announce the end of the federal government's "issue-by-issue" approach to artificial intelligence (AI). Albanese will outline plans to establish an Office of AI within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to coordinate new Australian Standards for the technology, addressing public concerns about data centres, workplace automation, copyright, and defense applications.

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