Winston says tobacco tax is leading to murders and assaults

The Herald reports:

Tobacco prices are leading to murders and assaults in dairies, Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters says.

A KPMG report commissioned by Imperial Tobacco NZ found that the Government lost up to $182 million in excise from the 9 per cent of tobacco that had been obtained illegally in 2017.

Imperial Tobacco said eight years of “aggressive” excise increases contributed to illicit tobacco consumption.

If you tax something too high, a black market will flourish.

Peters said “of course” there was a link between excise tax and illicit tobacco use, but he went even further, linking it to attacks on shop workers.

“It’s leading to people being murdered and assaulted in our dairies.”

It is beyond doubt it has led to numerous assaults.

So as Peters is in Government as Deputy PM, why is he voting for further tax increases when in his own words they will lead to more assaults and murders.