Claims extracted
23
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
4%
1 of 23 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
68/100
ABC News (AU)'s corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
In short:
A former federal police officer says the state government has taken too long to give Victoria Police stronger powers to combat the illicit tobacco trade.
asserted
government → say → trade
In September, inspectors and police were given new powers to close shops found to be selling illegal tobacco for an initial 90 days.
asserted
inspectors → give → days
Premier Ben Carroll says the government should have acted sooner but insists new laws are working.
asserted
laws → say → ?
A former federal police officer who established Border Force's illegal tobacco unit has slammed the Victorian government for its handling of the booming black market.
asserted
who → establish → market
Rohan Pike, who founded the Tobacco Strike Team, criticised the Labor government for not moving quick enough.
asserted
who → found → government
"Our government simply hasn't cared about this problem for many years and it's just allowed it to fester and get completely out of control," he said.
asserted
he → care → control
Last month new laws came into effect that gave inspectors and police power to close businesses found to be selling illegal tobacco products.
asserted
that → come → products
At least 51 closure notices have been issued since the laws came into effect on September 9.
asserted
laws → issue → September
Vendors can be forced to close for up to 90 days initially and will be publicly listed on Tobacco Licensing Victoria's website.
asserted
Vendors → force → website
Mr Pike said while new closure powers incentivised Victoria Police to conduct more raids, it had done little to impact the illicit market which has been at the centre of murders and hundreds of arson attacks.
asserted
which → say → attacks
"Victoria Police have been screaming for closure laws for many years now," he said.
asserted
he → scream → years
"It does still feel a bit like a whack-a-mole process that we have in Victoria, even with the additional powers."
Premier concedes government should have acted sooner
It comes as new data from Queensland showed state legislation strengthening powers to shutdown illegal tobacco shops had led to a 55 per cent jump in legal cigarette sales.
asserted
legislation → feel → sales
The federal MP for Bruce in Melbourne's south-east and Assistant Customs Minister Julian Hill said Queensland's crackdown was making it harder for criminals and "helping turn the tide" on Australia's illicit tobacco trade.
"This really reinforces the critical importance and urgency of the states and territories shutting the shops as it has an immediate impact," he said.
asserted
it → say → impact
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll conceded the state government should have acted sooner but insisted progress had been made since the new laws came into effect.
"
asserted
laws → concede → effect
We've actually seen more and more tobacco shops being closed," he said.
asserted
he → see → ?
"We should have acted on this sooner but the inspectors are out there."
asserted
inspectors → act → this
Mr Pike said under-resourcing had hindered the work of tobacco enforcement for years.
asserted
resourcing → say → years
"We've been going for years horribly understaffed [and] underpowered," he said.
"They're turning up without the resources, without the expertise to shut this down."
asserted
They → go → this
Earlier this year, the Victorian government boosted the number of Tobacco Licensing Victoria inspectors from just 14 to 42 across the state.
asserted
government → boost → state
Most of the inspectors were Melbourne-based, according to Mr Pike, which he said put additional pressure on police officers in regional communities.
uncertain
he → base → communities
"It falls back on Victoria Police to do their work and they're going to have to drop some of their priorities at crime types in other areas in order to turn their attention to illicit tobacco," he said.
asserted
he → fall → tobacco
Mr Pike said enforcement alone was not the answer.
asserted
enforcement → say → ?
"We need to change the policy settings at a federal level in order to enhance the effectiveness of some of these enforcement efforts," he said.
asserted
he → need → efforts
The Aporia