Philip Morris wasn't even listed on the witness schedule at the illegal tobacco hearing, and the public wasn’t able to watch. The secrecy has drawn swift condemnation.
Public health experts and Labor MPs have criticised the Coalition for allowing tobacco giant Philip Morris to give evidence in secret at a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra on Monday.
The public hearing into the illegal tobacco crisis in Australia included witnesses such as the Australian Council on Smoking and Health, Office of the Illicit Tobacco and E-Cigarette Commissioner and Australian Border Force.
Midway through the proceedings, the hearing, chaired by Liberal senator Leah Blyth, took a break with no explanation as to why.
Fifteen minutes later, the hearing resumed, with Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John explaining Philip Morris representatives had just given evidence in private. Philip Morris wasn’t listed on the schedule of witnesses.
The outrage was swift, even within the hearing, by fellow participants.
“We are very concerned they were given that opportunity behind closed doors, away from the scrutiny of the Australian public,” said Jacinta Reddan, CEO of the Cancer Council, during the hearing.
“We were not able to respond to those claims that they made. Those tactics are certainly very concerning to us and to all Australians – that they should be given a platform in breach of 5.3 of the World Health Organization framework.”
Ms Reddan was referring to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which Australia signed in 2003. One of the legally binding obligations is to “make sure health policies are not influenced by the tobacco industry”.
Related
The federal minister for communications, Anika Wells told Radio National Breakfast today that other senators had also objected.
“I know that Senator Jana Stewart, who is the Labor Senator on the committee, alongside other senators, objected to that evidence being provided in camera and it is absolutely upon the Coalition senators who made their decisions to account for those decisions,” she said.
As AMA President Danielle McMullin highlighted on ABC yesterday, the problem is that we don’t know what we don’t know.
“Time will tell what that evidence included,” she said.
“But it is really disappointing when I think Australians do expect that these hearings do have a full and public hearing, so that a range of questions can be asked.”
Federal health minister Mark Butler admitted that he had reminded his parliamentary colleagues in the previous days about their obligations under the WHO Framework.
“That obligation includes not engaging with officials and employees of Big Tobacco and I am a little concerned, although I’ve still got to get the full details,” he said in a press conference yesterday.
Although HSD asked whether Mr Butler had more to say, his office referred us to assistant minister for citizenship, customs and multicultural affairs, Julian Hill, who was less shy about his position.
“It’s shocking that they’ve allowed big tobacco to give secret evidence behind closed doors by unknown witnesses,” he said on ABC TV.
It’s the secrecy that has everyone up in arms.
The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand said it was concerned that privileged access had been granted to the tobacco industry “and the secretive way this hearing has been conducted,” said TSANZ CEO, Vincent So.
“If the tobacco industry is invited to provide evidence to the inquiry, it should be out in the open where it can be challenged, as appropriate, by public health and medical experts,” said TSANZ CEO, Vincent So.
It was also on everyone’s mind at the Preventive Health Association of Australia National Conference 2026 taking place in Hobart this week.
Associate Professor Katherine Cullerton, from the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health was questioned about it during this morning’s plenary on Navigating the Commercial Determinants of Health.
“I think we all felt the same way after hearing Monday’s news,” she said. “The main issue here is the secrecy. That’s the key issue. It is appropriate that they can give evidence like and the government can choose to ignore it or take it on.
“The problem is the secrecy issue … and I’m not quite sure why they did that,” she said.
It’s believed that the Philip Morris executive identities were kept secret because of threats from organised crime. Other witnesses questioned this double standard.
“We put our names and faces out in front of organised crime gangs. How is that fair and reasonable?” Lung Foundation Australia chief executive Mark Brooke questioned before being interrupted.
“Sorry, this is not a debating point, thank you for appearing,” Senator Blyth cut in.
However, a NSW inquiry into the illegal tobacco trade showed executives were treated with similar anonymity.
Proceedings from the in-camera session from Friday 20 February 2026 were published uncorrected, with three Philip Morris witnesses giving their evidence anonymously.
Senator Blyth said that the transcripts from Monday’s hearing would eventually be released, with redacted names of the identities of the executives.
