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] In 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] More than half of the tobacco consumed in Australia last year was bought illegally. ^[3] Public health authorities have consistently warned that dropping the tobacco tax risks reversing efforts to reduce smoking. ^[4] The proposed tax cut would reduce the excise on a standard packet of 20 cigarettes from $30 to about $6. ^[5] In 2026, the Coalition promised $5 billion over four years for road maintenance, including a target of one million pothole repairs. ^[6] In 2026, the National Transport Research Organization said Victoria has the worst pothole problem in Australia. ^[7] Snap Send Solve reported that road and pothole problems increased 27% nationally in the year to June 2026. ^[8]