Government looks to crack down on vaping, illicit tobacco as opposition calls on LNP to release budget update

Tim Nicholls said Queensland's current fines aren't enough to deter criminals from the illegal trade. (ABC News)

Criminal gangs have become involved in the sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes despite numerous police raids, according to the Queensland government.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said around 350-400 stores, some of which were "repeat offenders", were currently under surveillance by Queensland Health.

"But it's not enough, we need to do more," Mr Nicholls said.

"The on-the-spot fines are not acting as a deterrent — we know that the criminal gangs make a huge amount of money and there needs to be a deterrent.

"We need to hit them where it hurts most, and that is financially."

The health minister said he is concerned by vape marketing aimed at children. (ABC News: Rachel Carbonell)

The health minster said 8.7 million illicit cigarettes, 2.6 tonnes of loose tobacco, almost 44,500 illegal vapes, and 21,000 nicotine patches had been seized in Queensland since the beginning of the financial year.

He's been in discussions with the attorney-general "to discuss what we can do" to crackdown on the illegal trade.

"At the moment, the maximum fine that can be issued on the spot by one of our officers is just over $3,200, and the maximum for a corporation is just over $10,000," Mr Nicholls said.

"At the rate that they're selling these vapes and illicit tobacco, that is just a drop in the ocean."

Police raided three tobacco shops in inner-city Brisbane last month. (Supplied)

Labor's Shannon Fentiman argued the LNP "can increase the regulations today if they wanted to". 

"Talking about maybe doing it and talking to your colleague is not newsworthy," Ms Fentiman said. 

"They're in government now — if the advice is the fines need to be increased, then increase them."

Budget bickering

The Queensland government is also facing pressure to release a new budget update.

Ms Fentiman questioned when the Mid Year Fiscal and Economic Review (MYFER) would be released, suggesting "David Crisafulli and his treasurer need to get off the beach" and "show us the money".

"In the last 20 or so years, that budget update has only ever been moved from December because of natural disasters or the global pandemic," she said.

"What is their excuse?"

Ms Fentiman suggested budget forecasting would've already been done during costings, asking if the delay "is it simply because they want to give their gaffe-prone treasurer a little bit more time with the numbers?".

When questioned about MYFER on Sunday, Mr Nicholls said it wasn't unusual for the update to be given in either December or January.

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Keeping costings under wraps for so long is about mitigating collateral damage, but there was nothing in the numbers from both sides in Queensland likely to change opinions.

He said the government was "finding more and more Labor budget overspends [and] fudges" as it worked through the information. 

"It's only reasonable to expect that it'll take some time … to present a true state of the books for the people of Queensland, that's what they're really after [and] that's what they voted for," he said of the LNP's election win in October.

Mr Nicholls would not confirm whether or not further cuts were factoring into the delay, instead describing Labor as "a desperate opposition". 

"When it comes to economic and financial credibility, the Labor party has none," he said.