The state government will rectify a clause in its anti-tobacco advertising legislation that would have bypassed existing ad bans and allowed tobacco companies to sponsor sports.

The premier, Nathan Rees, made the admission after his health department came under fire for inserting the clause into a bill drawn up to curb sale of cigarettes to minors.
The clause in the Public Health (Tobacco) Bill 2008 would have enabled tobacco companies to circumvent existing federal legislation that bans advertising of cigarette products but is unclear about areas such as sponsorship. Under existing laws, tobacco companies can still sponsor a sport but are prohibited from promoting their involvement. The government has pledged to strike out the clause when the bill goes for its second reading this week.
The health minister overseeing the bill, Tony Stewart, on 24 October released a statement saying: "This wording has been inadvertently carried over from the existing bill – it's not new and has not been inserted into this bill in an attempt to allow tobacco sponsorship in any form." (pi)