Speech for Alcohol Reform Bill First Reading

Mister Speaker, I move that the Alcohol Reform Bill be read a first time. 

At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee for consideration.

This bill is the Government's legislative response to the Law Commission's report on alcohol legislation, Alcohol in Our Lives: Curbing the Harm.

I acknowledge the Law Commission's review and its effort, at my request, to report back a year earlier than planned. 

New Zealand needs a safe and responsible drinking culture. 

The late 1980's saw liberalisation of the sale of alcohol to create a "European style" moderate drinking culture. Further changes followed in 1999.

It's clear those changes haven't worked.

Excessive drinking and intoxication contributes to our crime rate, our injury rate and affects our general health.

It impacts on workplace productivity and contributes to family violence and child abuse.

The direct cost to Government of alcohol-related harm in New Zealand has been put as high as $1.2 billion per year.

The costs to New Zealand society are significantly greater.

But we must achieve a balance.

Addressing harm must be weighed against the positive benefits associated with responsible drinking.

The Government's approach is therefore a considered, integrated and balanced package that targets harm without penalising responsible drinkers.

This is a large bill but its objectives are simple.

It zeroes in on alcohol-related harm - crime, disorder, and public health problems -especially where our youth are concerned.

It aims to reduce excessive drinking and improve the operation of the alcohol licensing system - including community input on licensing - and support the responsible sale, supply and safe consumption of alcohol.

Licences will be harder to get and easier to lose.

There will be more scope to object to applications, and more grounds to decline them.

The bill targets the proliferation of off-licences and clarifies the premises able to sell takeaway alcohol - buying beer at the corner dairy will end as these licences expire with no chance for renewal.

Just as now, supermarkets will be able to sell beer and wine, but not spirits.

The Government recognises different communities have different needs, best understood by local people.

This bill empowers communities to address local issues like the concentration, location, and opening hours of alcohol outlets via local alcohol policies.

Where there is no local trading hours' policy, maximum national trading hours will be 8am to 4am for on-licences, clubs and special licences, and 7am to 11pm for off-licences.

Licence decision-makers will be able to set hours within and up to the maximum hours for individual licences. 

The only way the maximum hours can be changed is by communities, through a local alcohol policy. 

The Bill provides a small exception for Anzac Day, but there is no other provision for extension of the hours, even for nationally important or major televised events.

 I expect this issue will be the subject of careful scrutiny at the select committee.

This bill focuses strongly on the high and disproportionate harm caused by youth drinking. 

Risky drinking behaviour is becoming increasingly normalised, especially among our young people.

The Government is not going to stand by and allow excessive and harmful alcohol consumption to become further ingrained into our culture.

The Alcohol Reform Bill sets a foundation for change.

It pulls a number of levers to reduce the availability of, and demand for, alcohol.

Perhaps the most significant change proposed is a split purchase age.

The bill increases the off-licence purchase age from 18 to 20, while keeping the on-premises age at 18. 

This proposal is a starting point for debate. 

I expect the select committee will carefully consider any enforcement or employment complexities of a split purchase age.

Supplying alcohol to minors without parental consent, or in an irresponsible manner, will be an offence.

"Responsible supply" means common sense and host responsibility - adult supervision, the age of the minors, the quantity and duration of supply, and the availability of food are particular considerations. 

This aims to encourage parental and individual responsibility for supply to minors, and give parents greater control over the supply of alcohol to their children.

The definitions around this will be the focus of Select Committee hearings and I look forward to following the debate.

RTDs have strong appeal to youth, and therefore a high potential for harm to this group.

This bill enables the Government to regulate the size and strength of RTDs. 

We have proposed limits of 5% alcohol content and 1.5 standard drinks.

Due to existing agreements with Australia, a regulation-making process is needed to allow for required consultation. 

It will also ensure that accurate definitions are developed.

This bill adopts stage one of the Law Commission's advertising recommendations.

It strengthens the existing offence of promoting excessive consumption of alcohol by making it apply to any business. 

It will be an offence to:

• Promote or advertise alcohol that is free of charge.

• Offer any goods or services on the condition that alcohol is purchased.

• Promote or advertise alcohol in a manner likely to have special appeal to minors.

• Promote discounts on alcohol that could imply it is 25% cheaper than normal, unless on licensed premises.

I will be closely monitoring submissions on advertising.

The adoption of stage 1 of the Law Commission's proposals is a starting point for Parliament's discussion on alcohol advertising.

The Government is not ruling out making further changes in the future.

The bill also revises the criteria for creating liquor ban bylaws, so that liquor bans are focused on areas where there is evidence of alcohol-related harm.

Importantly, the bill widens the definition of ‘public place' for liquor bans to include spaces like car parks and schools that the public can legitimately access.

The bill introduces a more responsive penalty for breaching a liquor ban in the form of an instant fine issued on the spot or after arrest.

Other enforcement changes include provision for automatic cancellation of a manager's certificate for five years when they are found to have seriously breached their licence three times within three years.

Finally, the bill enables the Minister of Justice, in consultation with the Minister of Health, to ban particular alcohol products considered to be particularly dangerous to health or particularly attractive to minors, subject to the standard regulations process.

The Government continues to investigate minimum alcohol prices.

I said when I announced these proposals that retailers would have a year to provide sales and price data, after which regulation was likely. 

I will advise by the end of the year what information is required, and by when.

Legislation alone won't change our excessive drinking culture.

It can, however, help us develop a safe and responsible drinking culture, supported by robust public education and treatment interventions.

I'm confident this bill will help bring down our high levels of alcohol-related harm. 

I commend this bill to the House.