A Senate committee investigating the illegal tobacco trade in Australia has faced criticism following the private testimony of industry executives.

一個調查澳洲非法菸草貿易的參議院委員會，在業界高層進行秘密證詞後，面臨許多批評。

The proceedings, presided over by Senator Leah Blyth, involved the collection of evidence from the Australian Border Force, medical professionals, and health advocacy groups. A point of contention emerged regarding the participation of Philip Morris representatives, whose testimony was conducted in a closed-door session. This procedural decision was omitted from the public hearing schedule, prompting formal objections from Labor and Greens senators. Senator Jordon Steele-John confirmed the occurrence of the private session and indicated an intention to disclose the resulting transcript.

此程序由參議員 Leah Blyth 主持，涉及收集來自澳洲邊境巡邏隊、醫療專業人士及健康倡議團體的證據。爭議點在於菲利比莫里斯（Philip Morris）代表的參與，其證詞是在閉門會議中進行的。這項程序決定被省略在公開聽證會的日程表中，引發工黨與綠黨參議員的正式反對。參議員 Jordon Steele-John 確認了私人會議的舉行，並表示有意公開其紀錄副本。

Institutional opposition to this engagement is rooted in the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, specifically Article 5.3. Health Minister Mark Butler previously advised the committee that interactions with tobacco lobbyists should be minimized and conducted transparently to prevent industry interference in public health policy. The Cancer Council Australia noted that this event represents the first instance in sixteen years that tobacco industry actors have been granted a platform within the federal parliament. Furthermore, the Lung Foundation characterized the industry's historical engagement as a pattern of obfuscation regarding health risks.

機構對此參與的反對根源於世界衛生組織（WHO）的《菸草控制框架公約》，特別是第 5.3 條。衛生部長 Mark Butler 此前已建議委員會，應盡量減少與菸草遊說者的互動，並在透明情況下進行，以防止業界干預公共衛生政策。澳洲癌症理事會指出，這是十六年來首次有菸草業人士在聯邦議會獲得發言平台。此外，肺基金會將業界歷史上的參與行為描述為一種對健康風險含糊其辭的模式。

Concurrent with the inquiry, health advocates staged a symbolic demonstration on the lawns of Parliament House, utilizing body bags to represent the daily mortality rate associated with tobacco use. A divergence in strategic positioning is evident: while industry lobbyists propose a reduction in tobacco excise to mitigate the illicit market, the Australian Council on Smoking and Health argues that such a measure would increase accessibility and consumption. This position is supported by the Australian Border Force's chief economist, who asserted that excise reductions would likely fail to eliminate the price advantage maintained by illicit traders.

與調查同時進行的是，健康倡議者在國會大廈草坪上舉行象徵性示威，利用屍袋來代表與菸草使用相關的每日死亡率。策略定位上明顯存在分歧：業界遊說者建議降低菸草消費稅以緩解非法市場，而澳洲吸菸與健康委員會則認為，此舉將增加獲取便捷度與消費量。澳洲邊境巡邏隊的首席經濟學家支持這一立場，他主張降低消費稅可能無法消除非法貿易商所維持的價格優勢。

The inquiry remains active as stakeholders debate the efficacy of excise adjustments versus the implementation of more stringent licensing and enforcement mechanisms.

調查仍在進行中，利害關係人正就調整消費稅與實施更嚴格的許可及執法機制之有效性進行辯論。