An advertising campaign against plain cigarette packaging has caused a stir in the run-up to the national election.

According to a report by ABC the Alliance of Australian Retailers (AAR) is taking out full-page advertisements in tomorrow's papers criticising the Labor government's plan to remove brand logos and images from cigarette packaging by 2012, which they argue will hurt small business and lead to job losses.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the AUD-5-million (EUR 3.4 million) campaign has been funded by the main cigarette manufacturers and devised by former Liberal Party strategists and Howard government advisers, but oppostion leader Tony Abbott said the Liberal Party had "absolutely nothing to do with any sort of pro-smoking campaign," saying that if the Liberal Party would return to office on 21 August "we will certainly consider going ahead with the government's plain packages for cigarettes." 
Following the allegations Greens leader Bob Brown called on Abbott to tell the big tobacco companies to "get lost". Health minister Nicola Roxon said Abbott must explain any Liberal Party involvement in the campaign, while Mike Daube from the Australian Council on Smoking and Health was reported to say that the advertising campaign is an outrageous effort by the global tobacco industry to influence the Australian election.
The newly-formed AAR has 19,000 members representing corner stores, petrol stations, and newsagents. It opposes the Labor government's policy to force retailers to sell all cigarettes in plain packets, devoid of colour, special fonts and branding, by 2012. AAR spokeswoman Sheryle Moon says small businesses depend on cigarette sales. (pi)