Opposition lawmakers in the upper house again postponed a Senate vote on plain packaging for cigarettes, which the Health Ministry said may force the government to delay implementation.

The delay in the Senate means the laws will not be voted on before November, forcing the government to reconsider now whether it can meet its deadlines. "Given the delays in passing the bill caused by the opposition, the government now has no choice but to reconsider the impact on implementation timeframes," Health Minister Nicola Roxon said in a statement.
Senate passage is assured because of strong support from the Greens, according to the ministry. Lower house approval was granted 24 August.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard's government is hoping the law to mandate plain brown packaging for cigarettes will come into effect on 1 January next year, although the main provisions forcing all cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging only come into operation on 1 July 2012. (pi)