The lead author of the Berl report on the social costs of alcohol says the criticisms of it are unfair and misplaced.

Adrian Slack says Berl was only commissioned by the Ministry of Health and ACC to look at the social costs and not the benefits of alcohol, and would have needed an additional $135,000 were it to extend its remit to examining the benefits and policy implications.

The Berl report into the social costs of alcohol being used by the Law Commission is work that doesn’t look like it meets the “normal standards you would expect”, according to Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Dr Peter Bushnell.

Two economists have come out swinging in their analysis of a BERL report used as the basis of the Law Commission’s review of alcohol.

Law commission chief Sir Geoffrey Palmer’s proposed alcohol tax increase will disproportionately hurt craft brewers, who argue they are the very people who promote responsible beer drinking the most.

New Zealand’s liquor industry is in for a shock, as the Geoffrey Palmer led Law Commission's Liquor review appears to be advocating some serious changes to its laws.

Former prime minister Sir Geoffrey was appointed by former Justice minister Lianne Dalziel to lead the Law Commission’s Liquor Review, which is due to report in June 2010.

In a speech to Nelson police this morning, Sir Geoffrey detailed some of the issues that have arisen during his research, and some of his favoured solutions - decisions the industry may not be pleased with.