P.M. takes liquor council to task

Press, 9 May 1980, Page 4

P.M. takes liquor council to task

PA Wellington The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) said yesterday ■that he was sure the Minister of Justice (Mr McLay) would be happy to show the chairman of the Alcoholic Liquor Advisory Council, Sir Leonard Thornton, how the council could live within its $1.5 million budget. It was clear that the council had little regard for expenditure control, Mr Muldoon said, referring to a statement by Sir Leonard, who said that he could not understand why the Government would not approve the council’s proposed budget of $2.3 million. ■ 'The council will get $1.5 niillioh-for the present year; $300,000* less titan • last fear.

“I find it astonishing that Sir Leonard Thornton can assert that the Alcoholic Liquor Advisory. Council cannot understand why the Government has not been prepared to approve its budget of $2.3 million for the present year,” Mr Muldoon said. “The Minister of Justice (Mr McLay) and I discussed the matter in detail with Sir Leonard and I certainly expected him to pass on Hie detail of that discussion to his council. “I am sure that he knows that Mr McLay proposes to have another discussion in even greater detail on his return from the Commonwealth law “conference next week..

“The council proposed to

increase its spending from $l,B million to $2.3 million, an increase which no Government department or quasi-Government agency would aspire to in these times, and it was clear to both Mr McLay and I that the council had little regard for expenditure control, presumably because its money is easily obtained by a very small percentage levy on the sale of alcoholic liquor.”

Mr. Muldoon said that the Government expected the same responsible approach to spending by the council as it did from Government departments and other agencies.';’

“It appeared clear to Mr McLay arid ‘me that there was room for economy in its activities, not necessarily, in

its grants to other groups*, where. Sir Leonard proposes to make the cut, but in other activities, not the least being administration, for which it was budgeting a substantial increase,” Mr Muldoon said. The National Council of Women soys it shares Sir Leonard’s concern about the Government’s intention to reduce the budget ’

The council said that it had been concerned for many years about the effects of alcohol abuse in the community, and had advocated a programme of education and information on the use and abuse of alcohol, and also supported the establishment of the "‘-Alcoholic Liquor Advisory Council. i In a resolution passed at

its 1976 conference, the council’s national secretary (Mrs Lavrie Salas) said: “Money is needed to promote professionally the ideas* that moderate drinking, or drinking non-alcohol-ic beverages, are socially acceptable and desirable, especially among young people,” she said.

Indications were that A.L.A.C. programmes to date were succeeding in these aims.

"To cut the alcohol levy which funds the Liquor Advisory Council while at the same time allowing an increase in . the prices of beer and spirits seems an extraordinary measure,” she said.