​MEDIA RELEASE

​New poll: Australians want e-cigarettes legalised
Monday 18 June 2018:

An overwhelming 61% of Australians support the Government regulating to make e-cigarettes, personal vaporisers and other less harmful alternatives to smoking available alongside cigarettes at retail so smokers have access to these products, according to a new poll conducted on behalf of the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) by Crosby | Textor Group.
 
The poll found two-thirds of smokers support the legalisation of e-cigarettes and personal vaporisers and over two-thirds of all voters agree that the Australian Government should regulate, and make available, less harmful alternatives to cigarettes ‘as a way to completely phase out cigarette smoking in this country’.
 
Russell Zimmerman, Executive Director of the ARA, said regulating access to less harmful alternatives is a no-brainer for Australians, and the Government should get on with the job of making them available.
 
“More and more Australians are buying personal vaporisers with nicotine online from overseas, simply because they can’t buy them locally and this is affecting local retailers who are subject to an effective ban,” Mr Zimmerman said.
 
“The Government needs to act so that responsible local retailers can compete on a level playing field and sell less harmful products for Australians trying to change their habits. Failure to regulate only increases the risks and there are currently no Commonwealth laws prohibiting advertising to children, or Australian standards for ingredients or vaporiser design to keep people safe.”
 
The ARA’s new poll has identified that 61% of voters place importance on the strain of smoking-related diseases on the health system, and 93% of voters are also interested in the state of the public health system.
 
“Allowing retailers the opportunity to sell these less harmful alternatives is a win-win, as it provides monetary benefits for local retailers and public health benefits for the wider community,” Mr Zimmerman said.
 
Countries all around the world including Canada, UK, New Zealand, Europe and the US, have legalised and regulated these products, which are not only beneficial for current smokers, but allow retailers to fairly compete in the market.
 
“It is clear that smokers are not prepared to wait around for the Government to act and improve their health, as hundreds of thousands of Australians are already using these products,” Mr Zimmerman said.
 
“Australians have been purchasing e-liquids containing nicotine through online marketplaces for years, and unfortunately consumers cannot guarantee the quality of the purchase and are unaware of the risks.”

-ends-

Credit: ARA Media Team on 0439 612 556 or email media@retail.org.au
 
About the Australian Retailers Association:
Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is Australia’s largest retail association, representing the country’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. As Australia’s leading retail peak industry body, the ARA is a strong pro-active advocate for Australian retail and works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.
 

New financial complaints authority a landmark initiative

• Published on September 14, 2017
• Kate Carnell  - Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman

I welcome today's announcement by the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Kelly O'Dwyer, regarding plans for a new one-stop shop dispute resolution scheme, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). The initiative addresses a key recommendation from ASBFEO’s Small Business Loans Inquiry and will significantly improve access to justice, especially for capital-intensive enterprises.


AFCA will consolidate the existing Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), the Credit and Investments Ombudsman (CIO) and the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT).


A small business will be able to seek resolution of a dispute where the credit facility is up to $5 million and potentially receive compensation up to $1 million. The FOS is currently limited to considering disputes of not more than $500,000 arising from a credit facility no higher than $2 million, which excludes many small businesses.


Small businesses do not have the money or time to challenge banks through the court system and there is a significant power imbalance between banks and small businesses. Small businesses do not have the financial capacity to hire expert legal advice to help them overcome this disadvantage.
The new one-stop-shop will be able to make binding determinations.


The higher compensation cap should also incentivise banks to resolve disputes through internal processes before progressing to the AFCA. The Government’s proposed model will provide a genuine alternate dispute resolution option in a forum where the needs of small business are understood. It will save time and money by significantly reducing the need for litigation.
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I also welcomed the proposed transitional arrangements and the Government’s commitment to consult on AFCA’s terms of reference.

By Bob Ciura


Another year, another dividend increase for tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PM). On September 13th, it raised its quarterly dividend by 2.9%.


With the raise, PM has now increased its dividend 10 years in a row, each year since the spin-off from Altria Group (MO). This makes PM the newest member of the Dividend Achievers list, a group of stocks with 10+ consecutive dividend increases. You can see the entire list of all 265 Dividend Achievers here.


This is a difficult time for PM, due to declining smoking rates and toughening regulations. And yet, the company continues to raise its dividend each year. PM’s consistent dividend growth is the result of a very strong business model. It has a long history of steady growth, and dividends.
With a 100+ year operating history and a 3%+ dividend yield, PM fits Sure Dividend's definition of a blue-chip stock. You can see our entire list of nearly 70 blue chip stocks here.


This article will discuss PM’s recent dividend increase, and why it remains an attractive stock for dividend growth investors.


Business Overview


PM is a global tobacco company. It sells its products in more than 180 markets, outside the U.S., where Altria reigns. PM has six of the world's top international 15 brands, including the No. 1 global brand Marlboro.
​

PM’s financial performance has been negatively impacted by the strong U.S. dollar, which wiped away $1.3 billion of revenue in 2016 alone, but the core business continues to perform well. Organic revenue, excluding excise taxes, increased 4.4% in 2016. Adjusted earnings-per-share increased 12% for the year.