Sports clubs say liquor law bad
Canterbury rugby officials made it clear last evening that they were unhappy about the effects of liquor laws applying to sports clubs. Representatives of rugby clubs, and officials from one or two other sporting bodies, were strongly critical of the laws at a special meeting attended by Mr J. H. Elworthy, the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee investigating the ancillary licence regulations, introduced in 1976. Mr Elworthy’s committee is expected to complete its report next month and present it to Parliament in October. Mr Elworthy said it was unlikely that any new legislation would be introduced by the end of the year, and that once a bill was drafted it might be passed to another select committee for considera-
tion during the summer recess, “I agree that it is a very complex matter and that liquor legislation has grown like Topsy over the years,”' Mr Elworthy said. It was probably the most confusing legislation, and a free vote often made for untidy legislation, with many suggested amendments. Emphasising that any comments he made would be only his own opinion, Mr Elworthy said that it became apparent in 1977 that the legislation passed the previous year was not satisfactory. There was suf* ficient concern to convince
the then Minister of Justice, Mr Thomson, to set up a committee in 1977, and it was given wide terms ,of reference. “New Zealand as a nation should be concerned about the problems of alcohol abuse, disease and related accidents. My view is that it is not necessarily the number of outlets, but rather the type, that is responsible,” Mr Elworthy said. “It is also important that we consider the industry, and the publicans and tavern owners and managers who invest in a business. We have to realise that hotels and taverns pay tavern and income taxes, and that tavern tax is important for the growth of tourism," Mr Elworthy said.
“My committee has read 98 submissions and heard about 50. But there are only seven of us and 85 others in Parliament who will be woefully misinformed and lobbied by their constituents — they will make the decision, The liquor lobby is always very strong, no matter which direction it comes from,’’ he said.
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Press, 22 August 1979, Page 1
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376Sports clubs say liquor law bad Press, 22 August 1979, Page 1
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