Justice Minister Simon Power will announce the government's liquor reform package this afternoon.NBR understands the proposals include a split drinking age of 20 years for off-license purchases and 18 years for drinking in bars and pubs and reduced openin
Justice Minister Simon Power will announce the government’s liquor reform package this afternoon.
NBR understands the proposals include a split drinking age of 20 years for off-license purchases and 18 years for drinking in bars and pubs and reduced opening hours for both off-licensed and on-licensed premises.
Local government will be given more control over where liquor licenses are issued and it is likely that some types of alcohol advertising will be limited - though not to the extent recommended by the Law Commission in April.
The government intends to introduce the new legislation to Parliament by the end of the year.
Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell has said his party will support all aspects of the legislation through its first reading.
This will give the government the numbers to pass the legislation. Industry and members of the public will then get the chance to have their say through submissions to select committee.
The Green Party and Act have not said whether they will support the legislation.
Labour disappointed
Today’s alcohol reform package will supersede Labour’s 2008 Sale and Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill, currently before select committee.
That process has not been a total waste of time – Mr Power told NBR that submissions on the bill helped shape the government’s new legislation.
But Labour’s Lianne Dalziel expected to be disappointed by the new reforms.
“It looks as if the government is now going to ‘cherry pick’ its way through the Law Commission's recommendations,” she said in a release last week.
The recommendations included a new Alcohol Harm Reduction Act, an increased excise tax on alcohol, tougher controls on alcohol marketing, an increase in drinking age to 20, increased local authority control over licensing decisions, and a number of measures to reduce alcohol availability.
