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    "headline": "Australian Opposition Leader Unveils Plan to Slash Tobacco Tax by 80%",
    "dek": "Opposition leader Angus Taylor announced a plan to cut tobacco excise by 80% to combat the black market.",
    "prose": "Opposition leader Angus Taylor unveiled a plan to reduce the excise tax on cigarettes by 80 per cent to disrupt the tobacco black market. [^1]\n\nIn 2026, the Victorian government announced an extra $352 million to double its pothole-repair target to 500,000 by the end of January 2027, with the investment partially offset by delaying three planned level crossings by a year. [^2]\n\nMore than half of the tobacco consumed in Australia last year was bought illegally. [^3]\n\nPublic health authorities have consistently warned that dropping the tobacco tax risks reversing efforts to reduce smoking. [^4]\n\nThe proposed tax cut would reduce the excise on a standard packet of 20 cigarettes from $30 to about $6. [^5]\n\nIn 2026, the Coalition promised $5 billion over four years for road maintenance, including a target of one million pothole repairs. [^6]\n\nIn 2026, the National Transport Research Organization said Victoria has the worst pothole problem in Australia. [^7]\n\nSnap Send Solve reported that road and pothole problems increased 27% nationally in the year to June 2026. [^8]",
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