Alliance of Australian Retailers

The Alliance of Australian Retailers is a Philip Morris-funded Australian front group operated by the Melbourne area-based public relations firm the Civic Group to defeat an Australian public health measure to require cigarettes be sold in plain packaging, without logos or colors, that feature only graphic health warnings. The mastermind behind the front group campaign, according to emails exposing the campaign that were delivered to the Sydney Morning Herald, is Chris Argent the director of Philip Morris Corporate Affairs.

Funding
According to leaked documents, on the day the alliance was formed in August 2010 it received funding from:
 * Imperial Tobacco Australia: $1,080,860.
 * British American Tobacco: $2,200,000.
 * Philip Morris: $2,161,720.

Philip Morris also paid The Civic Group $200,000 per month to help manage the alliance.

SourceWatch resources

 * The Civic Group
 * Philip Morris
 * Tobacco industry public relations strategies
 * Third party technique
 * Front groups

External resources

 * Peter Lloyd, The tobacco files, ABC Lateline, September 10, 2010

Contact

 * www.australianretailers.com.au