June 11, 2025 • 8 mins
We have the Premier of New South Wales in studio to talk about the spread of the Tobacconist stores in Sydney, get an update on the Tunnel upgrades and his State of Origin bet with the Queensland Premier!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Fitty and Whip with Cake Richie podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Ladies and gentlemen. We also have a guest in the
studio and he knows a little bit about this state.
In fact, he works very hard on a daily basis.
Premier Chrismians Welcome Henday.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Nice guys, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
So much going on. We were trying to work out
if you would bring in some mushrooms or tobacco this morning. Yeah,
from Parliament House or did you go over the road.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I saw that in the paper yesterday and I thought
there's just some enterprising drug dealer that thought, you know,
I'm going to hide it in plain sight, the last
place anyone will search. Maybe there's like a maybe there's
a cannabis plan in the basement of Parliament or something
like that.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
It's too obvious.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
No.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
On a serious note, though, the illegal tobacco war was
a pretty out of control down in Melbourne. You're worried
that they're going to be coming up here at all?
Means you what are you picking up?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah, No, I mean I am a bit worried about it.
I've seen what's happened in Victoria, and I mean part
of The problem we've got in New South Wales is
is that US candy stores, if you're saying, these.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
US candy stores.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
And tobacco stores and illegal tobacco stores are taking over
so many of the high streets in Sydney. In my
elect Kingicogra, there's tobacconists that are popping up all over
the place. And it does a couple of things. Firstly,
it pushes out other businesses like dry cleaners and hop
red stores and other things that we want in vibrant
high streets because they can't pay the rent, and illegal
(01:26):
tobaccano stores. And then it pushes a lot of laura
abiding citizens into this black market. So my view is
a bit controversial, but I think that the excise that
the federal government has put on is actually driving by
the cheaper cigarettes, cheaper alternatives, and despite I think laudable
efforts and everybody's best intentions, is not working.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
It's fed can I ask, I mean, you look at
the township of Nara and I think in the main
street now there's fourteen tobaccos, So competition is high. How
does someone because there's so many of them, it feels
like anybody could do it so how is it on
an undercovered team and they might be wandering into these
tobacco stores saying, hey, can I get a bit of
your rough cut leaf and then going got youa come
(02:08):
with me?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Shut down?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Next one, got you come with me shut down?
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Like, how do they happen?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Is it? Is it one group running one town or.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Well, when we got to go back a little bit,
and they's absolutely fair questions because it's not i'sough it
takes place on street corners that they put a sign
at the topic.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yes, so I accept that.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
When we started, we had seven investigators who were responsible
for it from the Health department, right that they were
the people who were tasked with closing down a multi
billion dollar perhaps you know, crime network. And we doubled that,
and then we doubled it again and we got to
sixty inspectors. But it's so lucrative and the money that's
(02:49):
to be made is so so much. I mean, I'll
give you an example. The exercise on a packet of
cigarettes in twenty nineteen was sixteen dollars. Today it's twenty
eight dollars for a pack of twenty for a pack
of twenty cigarettes. So and this is the other interesting thing.
The federal government used to collect sixteen billion dollars. Now
(03:09):
they collect nine So it's the only attacks in the
world where we've doubled the tax and the revenues havelved
and it's all going into this This is a roundabout
way of me answering your question. It's gone into this
black market. So, yes, we've got inspectors out there. We've
massively increased the fines. We've started a registration regulation process
where you have to have a license to sell cigarettes.
(03:30):
You never used to have to have.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
That easy to get, but well no, you've got to
apply for.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
It, and it's it's a government program. But the problem
is it's a bit like someone standing on a beach
trying to stop the waves. Like I'm not confident that
I want to keep those regulation and that law enforcement
in place. But am I going to do that in
the process of having this massive federal excise At the
same time, I don't think we should drop it to zero,
but can we have a bit of both a lot
(03:56):
more enforcement, tougher penalties, and some common sense on the excise.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
We have a boring machine here, minsy, it's tom our producer.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
But you've got you've also got a boring machine as well.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Which is boring a huge hole underneath the city of Sydney.
We need an update on the Warringa Freeway upgrade and
the Western Harbor Tunnel. How how far away are we looking?
I mean, we are so excited to get it, but
it has been set back a little bit. When are
we looking?
Speaker 5 (04:25):
I mean this question is specifically from Rebel Wilson, who
doesn't want to have to catch a helicopter.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Again just to get to work.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Come on the sink of Rebel.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah, she's still Australia.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Or she's got a place at Birch Grove I know,
I think which is where the tunnel is.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
With a helipad.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I mean, yeah, good quote. I don't know it's up to.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Can we sign off that when it opens we'll have
a motorized ski race yes as an opening.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Yeah we can. We can lock that into that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Great, Thank you mate. Why don't we to talk about
the commitment that's happening between you and Queensland here? Yes,
Game two of State of Origin now a tourism campaign
is on the lone is a huge commitment. I mean
we're one up at this stage. Game two next Wednesday night.
What would it look like for you, minsy if I mean,
how do you handle it if we weren't to win
(05:18):
the Origin Series? Do you have to come out and say, Hey,
Queensland the best state in Australia.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yeah, that's I think I'd tackle you before the words.
That's the that's the bear I mean. And the Queensland
premier took the Bet one Niel down in yeah, three games,
so that's the kind of arrogance of the Queensland that
you would expect from a typical Queensland I call to
take on a bet one down, so the winner the
(05:46):
loser has to record a tourism had for the winner. Yeah,
and my ad, I mean, I guess I'd say the
best thing about Queensland is that it's next to New
South Wales and there's no beaches. There's no surf above Noos,
so you know, be careful.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Lots of crocodiles, Cory terrible a day.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
We regard that as a good advertising campaign.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
But the rest of the world will say, what's going on?
It didn't have to be a good tourism matter. It
just has to be.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
I want to I want to pull the curtain aside
for a second, all fair. A question was asked of you,
Bye bye Whipper, our friend, your yours and mine, and
and then we were on air and it was never answered.
And I just don't want to die knowing your answer
to the question how's the body?
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Which is what Whipper asked you just.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
Before we went to where And I just got to say,
Chris Mins, how's the body?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I mean it was in reference to the fact that
we're the same age.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
How is the bodyhole?
Speaker 1 (06:48):
I was explaining that I'd.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Taken up pilates because there was a few saws and.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Stiffness, and I said, I'm not that desperate. I was
my next.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Question, what would you like to join me at peaches
for a midday class?
Speaker 1 (07:02):
So, yeah, it's it's a probably standard forty five year
old prove it, prove it. I'm not in the ground yet.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
Any bits ointment on anything or like, you know, how's
that going? No?
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Not really?
Speaker 5 (07:21):
What are you?
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Two and a half years into your term? Now? I
raised my leg the other day and what was that from?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Mate?
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I was on a bike and I fell over and
I got scooled and I got crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
And in order to put this is going to sound
a bit strange, but in order to put a band
aids on it, and I shaved it down a bit.
I had one one, one shaved leg and one head.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
Leg for the next year's Marti grap.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
And I had to make a decision because my I'd
come down and then I've got three boys and they
just wouldn't shut up about it every day, every morning.
What is going on with those legs? Just make a
decision all off or one off or don't worry about it.
So I left it like that for a while, but
it infuriated everybody.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
So it's not a pretty side. The body is not
a pretty sight, all right.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You and I similar bodies, similar fitness.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Well we know how we know how busy you are, premiere.
We appreciate your time. Thank you very much for coming
in this morning, buddy.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
No worries, Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
It's in Whipper with Kate Ritchie is a Nova podcast
walk great shows like this. Download the Nova Player, find
the app store or Google Play.
This is the Fitty and Whip with Cake Richie podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Ladies and gentlemen. We also have a guest in the
studio and he knows a little bit about this state.
In fact, he works very hard on a daily basis.
Premier Chrismians Welcome Henday.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Nice guys, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
So much going on. We were trying to work out
if you would bring in some mushrooms or tobacco this morning. Yeah,
from Parliament House or did you go over the road.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I saw that in the paper yesterday and I thought
there's just some enterprising drug dealer that thought, you know,
I'm going to hide it in plain sight, the last
place anyone will search. Maybe there's like a maybe there's
a cannabis plan in the basement of Parliament or something
like that.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
It's too obvious.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
No.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
On a serious note, though, the illegal tobacco war was
a pretty out of control down in Melbourne. You're worried
that they're going to be coming up here at all?
Means you what are you picking up?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah, No, I mean I am a bit worried about it.
I've seen what's happened in Victoria, and I mean part
of The problem we've got in New South Wales is
is that US candy stores, if you're saying, these.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
US candy stores.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
And tobacco stores and illegal tobacco stores are taking over
so many of the high streets in Sydney. In my
elect Kingicogra, there's tobacconists that are popping up all over
the place. And it does a couple of things. Firstly,
it pushes out other businesses like dry cleaners and hop
red stores and other things that we want in vibrant
high streets because they can't pay the rent, and illegal
(01:26):
tobaccano stores. And then it pushes a lot of laura
abiding citizens into this black market. So my view is
a bit controversial, but I think that the excise that
the federal government has put on is actually driving by
the cheaper cigarettes, cheaper alternatives, and despite I think laudable
efforts and everybody's best intentions, is not working.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
It's fed can I ask, I mean, you look at
the township of Nara and I think in the main
street now there's fourteen tobaccos, So competition is high. How
does someone because there's so many of them, it feels
like anybody could do it so how is it on
an undercovered team and they might be wandering into these
tobacco stores saying, hey, can I get a bit of
your rough cut leaf and then going got youa come
(02:08):
with me?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Shut down?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Next one, got you come with me shut down?
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Like, how do they happen?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Is it? Is it one group running one town or.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Well, when we got to go back a little bit,
and they's absolutely fair questions because it's not i'sough it
takes place on street corners that they put a sign
at the topic.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yes, so I accept that.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
When we started, we had seven investigators who were responsible
for it from the Health department, right that they were
the people who were tasked with closing down a multi
billion dollar perhaps you know, crime network. And we doubled that,
and then we doubled it again and we got to
sixty inspectors. But it's so lucrative and the money that's
(02:49):
to be made is so so much. I mean, I'll
give you an example. The exercise on a packet of
cigarettes in twenty nineteen was sixteen dollars. Today it's twenty
eight dollars for a pack of twenty for a pack
of twenty cigarettes. So and this is the other interesting thing.
The federal government used to collect sixteen billion dollars. Now
(03:09):
they collect nine So it's the only attacks in the
world where we've doubled the tax and the revenues havelved
and it's all going into this This is a roundabout
way of me answering your question. It's gone into this
black market. So, yes, we've got inspectors out there. We've
massively increased the fines. We've started a registration regulation process
where you have to have a license to sell cigarettes.
(03:30):
You never used to have to have.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
That easy to get, but well no, you've got to
apply for.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
It, and it's it's a government program. But the problem
is it's a bit like someone standing on a beach
trying to stop the waves. Like I'm not confident that
I want to keep those regulation and that law enforcement
in place. But am I going to do that in
the process of having this massive federal excise At the
same time, I don't think we should drop it to zero,
but can we have a bit of both a lot
(03:56):
more enforcement, tougher penalties, and some common sense on the excise.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
We have a boring machine here, minsy, it's tom our producer.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
But you've got you've also got a boring machine as well.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Which is boring a huge hole underneath the city of Sydney.
We need an update on the Warringa Freeway upgrade and
the Western Harbor Tunnel. How how far away are we looking?
I mean, we are so excited to get it, but
it has been set back a little bit. When are
we looking?
Speaker 5 (04:25):
I mean this question is specifically from Rebel Wilson, who
doesn't want to have to catch a helicopter.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Again just to get to work.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Come on the sink of Rebel.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah, she's still Australia.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Or she's got a place at Birch Grove I know,
I think which is where the tunnel is.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
With a helipad.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I mean, yeah, good quote. I don't know it's up to.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Can we sign off that when it opens we'll have
a motorized ski race yes as an opening.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Yeah we can. We can lock that into that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Great, Thank you mate. Why don't we to talk about
the commitment that's happening between you and Queensland here? Yes,
Game two of State of Origin now a tourism campaign
is on the lone is a huge commitment. I mean
we're one up at this stage. Game two next Wednesday night.
What would it look like for you, minsy if I mean,
how do you handle it if we weren't to win
(05:18):
the Origin Series? Do you have to come out and say, Hey,
Queensland the best state in Australia.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yeah, that's I think I'd tackle you before the words.
That's the that's the bear I mean. And the Queensland
premier took the Bet one Niel down in yeah, three games,
so that's the kind of arrogance of the Queensland that
you would expect from a typical Queensland I call to
take on a bet one down, so the winner the
(05:46):
loser has to record a tourism had for the winner. Yeah,
and my ad, I mean, I guess I'd say the
best thing about Queensland is that it's next to New
South Wales and there's no beaches. There's no surf above Noos,
so you know, be careful.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Lots of crocodiles, Cory terrible a day.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
We regard that as a good advertising campaign.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
But the rest of the world will say, what's going on?
It didn't have to be a good tourism matter. It
just has to be.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
I want to I want to pull the curtain aside
for a second, all fair. A question was asked of you,
Bye bye Whipper, our friend, your yours and mine, and
and then we were on air and it was never answered.
And I just don't want to die knowing your answer
to the question how's the body?
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Which is what Whipper asked you just.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
Before we went to where And I just got to say,
Chris Mins, how's the body?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I mean it was in reference to the fact that
we're the same age.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
How is the bodyhole?
Speaker 1 (06:48):
I was explaining that I'd.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Taken up pilates because there was a few saws and.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Stiffness, and I said, I'm not that desperate. I was
my next.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Question, what would you like to join me at peaches
for a midday class?
Speaker 1 (07:02):
So, yeah, it's it's a probably standard forty five year
old prove it, prove it. I'm not in the ground yet.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
Any bits ointment on anything or like, you know, how's
that going? No?
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Not really?
Speaker 5 (07:21):
What are you?
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Two and a half years into your term? Now? I
raised my leg the other day and what was that from?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Mate?
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I was on a bike and I fell over and
I got scooled and I got crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
And in order to put this is going to sound
a bit strange, but in order to put a band
aids on it, and I shaved it down a bit.
I had one one, one shaved leg and one head.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
Leg for the next year's Marti grap.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
And I had to make a decision because my I'd
come down and then I've got three boys and they
just wouldn't shut up about it every day, every morning.
What is going on with those legs? Just make a
decision all off or one off or don't worry about it.
So I left it like that for a while, but
it infuriated everybody.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
So it's not a pretty side. The body is not
a pretty sight, all right.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You and I similar bodies, similar fitness.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Well we know how we know how busy you are, premiere.
We appreciate your time. Thank you very much for coming
in this morning, buddy.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
No worries, Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
It's in Whipper with Kate Ritchie is a Nova podcast
walk great shows like this. Download the Nova Player, find
the app store or Google Play.
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