I speak in support of the Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment (Landlord Offences) Bill 2025. The bill is about protecting our kids, backing our communities and finally closing the loopholes that have allowed illegal tobacco and vape shops to operate in plain sight for far too long. Across Wakehurst, particularly from local parents, I have heard a very strong and consistent message: People want those illegal operators shut down. Parents are rightly alarmed by the normalisation of vaping and illegal tobacco sales near schools, near sporting fields and in everyday shopping strips through which children pass daily.

What has struck me most is that this concern is not just being raised by parents and teachers; it is being raised by young people themselves. Students from Wheeler Heights Public School proactively raised with me their concerns about the tobacconist near their school. In fact, they summoned me to their primary school. Those primary school children understood that what was happening was not right. They told me they did not want an illegal tobacco and vape shop operating so close to their school, and they wanted action. When kids are telling their local MP that they feel uncomfortable, that they are worried about exposure to vaping and illegal tobacco, and that they want it shut down, we should listen. More importantly, we should act.

The bill does exactly that. By extending offences to landlords who knowingly lease premises to illegal tobacco retailers, the bill recognises a simple truth: Enforcement cannot stop at the shop counter. If we are serious about shutting down illegal operators, we must also address the commercial arrangements that allow them to set up and re-establish again and again. Responsible landlords already do the right thing. The bill targets those who turn a blind eye, profit from unlawful activity and enable businesses that undermine public health and put children at risk. This is a sensible, targeted reform that strengthens enforcement, supports councils and regulators, and sends a clear message that illegal tobacco and vape sales will not be tolerated in our communities. It reflects the clear expectations of parents, educators and, most importantly, young people in Wakehurst and across New South Wales. For those reasons, I commend the bill to the House.

10 February 2026, 16:56.