NRA CEO quits amid vaping furore as rumours of redundancies swirl
Dominique Lamb has resigned as CEO of the National Retailers Association (NRA), amid concerns about the association’s possible ties to the vaping industry.
The future leadership of the National Retailers Association (NRA) is unclear after CEO Dominique Lamb resigned suddenly, within two months of the exit of long-standing chair Mark Brodie.
Their departures follow a controversy surrounding the unexplained source of $430,000 in “policy services” in the association’s books. There have been allegations that the funds came from the tobacco industry to assist the NRA in lobbying in favour of the vaping industry.
Lamb will leave the role after six years, and an NRA source told Inside Retail that she is leaving to pursue another career opportunity.
The Australian reported last week of “massive upheaval in its boardroom and among its management ranks” following the departure of Brodie after 22 years with the association — and now Lamb — “as rumours of redundancies also hit the group”.
A spokeswoman told The Australian it would not make a formal announcement about Lamb’s departure until her replacement was determined.
The NRA has denied links to the tobacco industry — to the point of lodging at least one complaint with the Press Council over news media reports saying it had joined the Australian Association of Convenience Stores in its campaign to remove restrictions on selling vaping products.
For more than 20 years there have been attempts to merge the Australian Retailers Association — which counts the majority of major retail groups among its membership — with the NRA, which was historically seen as a Queensland-centric retail lobby.
In recent years the NRA has been working to reposition itself as a nationally representative body.
In May last year, Lamb issued a press release attacking the Australian Medical Association over its “breathtaking hypocrisy” for protecting the monopoly over nicotine vaping enjoyed by doctors and pharmacists.
“The only businesses in the equation who are not making money from nicotine vaping are Australian retailers.
“So it’s understandable that in its public positioning the doctors’ union has sought to protect that monopoly at all costs.
“In doing so, they have attacked mum and dad retail businesses who would like to transition away from selling cigarettes and move to vaping, which has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as a less harmful alternative to smoking,” she said in a clear pitch for mainstream retailers to be allowed to selling vaping devices and e-cigarettes.
While there is no medical evidence to prove a link between vaping and cancer, there are other established health risks from vaping, which is considered addictive.
