TOBACCO growers say Sophie Mirabella needs to stop labelling them crooks when defending the campaign contribution she received from British American Tobacco.
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They also have labelled her a hypocrite for accepting the money.
The member for Indi claimed again yesterday the industry was wound up because of the chop chop trade and reinforced it had nothing to do with a $15,000 political donation gifted to her by the tobacco manufacturing giant.
Mrytleford grower Carlo Mancuso said farmers were outraged.
“How many more times do I have to hear Mrs Mirabella casting aspersions upon hard-working and honest farmers by associating them with the illegal tobacco trade,” he said.
“In my view, and the view that was officially quoted by the Tobacco Cooperative of Victoria, the industry ceased to exist because BAT no longer wanted to buy Australian tobacco leaf.
“If one looks at the company’s worldwide operations it is clear that it is restructuring.
“We were told that Australian tobacco did not fit into the restructuring program.”
Last week it was revealed Mrs Mirabella had received $15,000 in donations from BAT in April last year, six months before being involved in the decision to end the $90 million a year Ovens Valley industry.
A late submission brought the donations into the public domain, while a paperwork error revealed the full amount.
Had the donations not been lumped together they would have avoided scrutiny.
Donations of less than $10,000 are not required to be reported to the Australian Electoral Commission.
Mr Mancuso also accused Mrs Mirabella of double standards.
“Mrs Mirabella has no trouble in tarnishing the reputation and integrity of former tobacco growers by associating them with the illegal tobacco trade, while taking offence at the suggestion there is an association between her undisclosed funding from BAT and her role in a package that ended the industry,” he said.
“A package that was scheduled for December and to date we are still waiting.”
Mr Mancuso says the member for Indi should donate the money to charities.
“In an age where we are bombarded by anti-smoking commercials it seems hypocritical to be accepting money from tobacco companies for her election campaign,” he said.