Change To Taverns Under Liquor Bill

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30887, 21 October 1965, Page 3

Change To Taverns Under Liquor Bill

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, October 20.

Nineteen hotels in Christchurch would be converted to taverns under provisions of the Sale of Liquor Amendment Bill, Mr M. Moohan (Opp., Petone), said in Parliament today.

This was because the previous 5 per cent minimum bed occupancy rate for the year below which the Licensing Control Commission might convert a provisional hotel licence into a tavern premise licence was being increased to 10 per cent, he said.

The original provision should have been retained, said Mr Moohan.

Parliament tonight took urgency on consideration of the committee stages of the bill.

Postponement of seven measures on the Order Paper to allow the bill to proceed tonight, and the granting of urgency, was allowed without dissent.

One objection came from Mr J. G. Edwards (Opp., Napier), a member of the Statutes Revision Committee, which, he said, was meeting in another part of the building to consider the National Library Bill. As the Liquor Bill had been considered by the committee and was of interest to its members the committee should either be recalled to the House or the Liquor Bill be postponed until the committee had finished discussions.

Mr Holyoake said he had to plead guilty to bringing the bill forward when the committee was sitting elsewhere and said he would have it recalled to the House immediately. This was done. Mr Moohan claimed there was no need for the power to grant wine sellers’ licences to be taken away from the district licensing committees and given to the Licensing Control Commission. He said the system had worked satisfactorily in the past; but the commission came along and said it was unsatisfactory, so the Government decided to do away with it.

Membership Mr Moohan moved an amendment to section four of the principal act to provide that membership of the commission should include one person nominated by the Hotel and Restaurant Employers’ Union and one by the Hotel Association. He said there should be at least two representatives of the industry on the commission.

The 19 Christchurch hotels he referred to last year accommodated more than 24,000 guests. If the change was ap plied throughout the country a deplorable situation could result. The rate should be retained at 5 per cent until further consideration was given to the question, he said. Mr H. E. L. Pickering (Govt. Rangiora) proposed to move an amendment to the clause dealing with special liquor permits for licensed restaurants.

The effect of this would be to strike out all amendments made to the clause in the Statutes Revision Committee and reinstate the clause exactly as it appeared in the bill when originally introduced.

Mr Pickerinc disagreed with the committee proposal that liquor should be served in a restaurant not only before and during a meal, but at tables in alcoves, lounges or reception rooms. He disagreed because the measure would promote drinking not necessarily in conjunction with meals. It would to some extent place the restaurant in competition with hotels, and might mean the restaurant would become a drinking house. How long would the

customer be allowed to drink before he had a meal? Mr Pickering asked.

His amendment would mean a return to the original draft of the clause which provided for drinking with and before a meal, but only at the table where the meal was served.

Dr. A. M. Finlay (Opp., Waitakere) gave notice of his intention to move one amendment related to the locker

system—and possibly two amendments to provisions in the bill dealing with wine resellers’ licences. Dr. Finlay warped of the consequences of transferring the issue of wine resellers’ licences from local committees to the Licensing Control Commis. ion. Because of the view that a saturation point in those licences had been reached, it was almost inevitable the commission would be reluctant to issue new licences. He told the House he would prefer to have the clauses dealing with the granting of wine resellers’ licences deleted from the bill.

If, however, the House did not support this view. Dr. Finlay said he would have to move amendments to two of the clauses.

Regarding his amendment related to the locker system, he said the proposal had been referred to the Attor-iney-General (Mr Hanan) who in turn referred it to his de- ■ partraent. The amendment would add a new clause to the bill to make provision for a properly run locker system, under which the supply of liquor to club members would not involve any breach of the law, Dr. Finlay said. Mr H. Lapwood (Gpvt., Rotorua) said he would move an amendment to restore the liquor wholesalers’ rights to apply for a wine resellers’ licence should it be deemed a further licence was required in an area. Mr Hanan said that at this stage he knew of 13 amendments. Under the system of free voting neither the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition nor the Minister in charge of the bill could predict the fate of these amendments.

“Bad” Provision

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Nordmeyer) said he would be opposing one “thoroughly bad” provision in the bill, that which gave restaurants the right to serve liquor on Sundays and Good Friday. Mr Nordmeyer said also that the granting of restaurant licences in no-licence areas was against the spirit of the legislation and he would oppose this. Mr P. Blanchfield (Opp.. Westland) said he did not see any need for a referendum on extended hours. In 1917 members of Parliament had taken

it upon themselves to put through what was called a war-time measure—6 o’clock closing. This was intended as a temporary measure so there was no need for a referendum now. Mr Blanchfield said he would move the insertion of a new clause which would permit the setting up of special regions. Mr Hanan said he now had 15 amendments and should 10 minutes be spent on calling a division for each, two hours and a half would be required. Mr Hanan said the Leader of the Opposition knew that twice since 1960 the House had reaffirmed the provision for restaurant licences in nolicence districts.