Libs Accused of being Tobacco Protector

An advertising campaign against Labor's plan to force cigarettes to be sold in plain packets from mid-2012 will be launched on Thursday by newsagents, convenience stores and service stations.
The ad blitz by the Alliance of Australian Retailers, which will include TV commercials from Sunday, is funded 100 per cent by the country's three cigarette manufacturers.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon, who claims the Liberal Party could be behind the $5 million campaign, said Mr Abbott was looking like the "Marlboro man".
"I want to know if Mr Abbott has promised something to the tobacco companies in order for this intervention into the (election) campaign," she told the Nine Network.
"I'm very suspicious."
Special Minister of State Joe Ludwig said the Liberals were compromised because they had received $2.5 million from big tobacco over the past decade.
"While he continues to accept these donations Mr Abbott is nothing more than a mouthpiece of big tobacco," Senator Ludwig said in a statement.
However the opposition leader insisted the Liberal Party wasn't behind the push to kill off plain packaging.
"The Liberal Party has absolutely nothing to do with any sort of pro-smoking campaign," Mr Abbott said.
"And as far as I'm concerned, if we are returned on August 21, we will certainly consider going ahead with the government's plain packages for cigarettes."
He previously said he would not oppose Labor's packaging measure.
Liberal pollsters Crosby Textor also denied any involvement, following a News Ltd report linking the company to the ads.
"Crosby Textor is not involved with either the alliance or its campaign," the firm said in a statement.
Alliance spokeswoman Sheryle Moon backed both the pollster and Mr Abbott.
"The Liberal Party is not involved in this campaign," she told ABC Radio, adding the advertisements were "apolitical".
"The ads do not urge a vote one way or the other," she said.
Ms Moon argued plain packs would add time to shop transactions and ultimately cost retailers money.
"It's difficult to identify the consumer package that's required - it's difficult to restock shelves," she said.
British American Tobacco Australia (BAT), which is funding the alliance's campaign along with Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco, said those involved had a "common interest".
"Like the retailers, our view is very much that they (Labor) are looking to implement policy that at the moment we don't see any evidence will make a difference," BAT communications head Louise Warburton told AAP.
The tobacco giants helped develop the campaign but the Liberal Party wasn't involved, Ms Warburton said.
Legal action to prevent mandatory plain packaging - which will be a world first if implemented - is still a possibility but only "once the laws have actually passed parliament", she said.
Labor's legislation banning logos, images and colours on cigarette packs is expected to be introduced next year.
Ms. Moon says the alliance's campaign will run "until plain packaging policy is removed".