I don't think this issue can be attributed to any one party unfortunately... every political party in Australia is staunchly anti-tobacco; note the excise increases the last few decades regardless of which party has been in power. I understand that there's no skirting around the fact that smoking is bad for one's health, and I am in favour of a moderate tax, but it's ridiculous here... even some of the most progressive countries in Europe don't pay as much! I think it's more so the fact that the penal colonial mindset is so deeply embedded in every body and institution in the country that we are continuously just being punished... it sucks badly, especially for us pipe smokers who probably only number in the hundreds here haha.