Liquor laws ‘in a mess'

Press, 10 September 1985, Page 2

Liquor laws ‘in a mess'

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington New Zealand’s liquor laws are in a mess, according to a discussion paper prepared by the Law Reform Division of the Justice Department for the Government.

It found that the laws were extensive and numerous, highly complex, often obscure, and abounding in anomalies. “It is doubtful that the liquor laws are at all effective to deal with the social problems and evils that are the reason for their existence and, like all restrictive licensing systems, they create economic distortions,” the report said.

The Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, said there was no doubt the liquor laws were in real need of reform.

He released the discussion paper to help the newly formed working party on the liquor laws to assess public attitudes to those laws. The discussion paper was intended to generate public discussion and debate.

The working party, chaired by Sir George Laking, has been directed to consider how the liquor laws might be reformed, and how new legislation to do that might be prepared.

Mr Palmer said the working party had a formidable task, and would not be studying special aspects such as drinking-driving, health, treatment, or rehabilitation.

“While I am not committed to any particular approach or proposal in the discussion paper, I do agree

with the views expressed that the present laws are in a mess," he said. It was hoped that the working party could finish by August, next year. From its report would emerge draft legislation for Parliament to consider.

According to the discussion paper, what has been lacking is a consensus about the way society should deal with the problem of liquor abuse while at the same time recognising the freedom of New Zealanders to drink alcoholic liquor, and also what role legislation could and should play in this.

The discussion paper identified seven possible aims for legislation and the licensing system to control the availability of liquor: • To promote the ac-

countability of suppliers and to provide a framework for special protections that might be necessary. • To protect individuals whose health and welfare would be harmed by drinking alcoholic liquor against their own weakness.

• To reduce consumption of liquor by restricting opportunities for drinking. • To assist in the provision of other facilities and amenities and, in particular for historic reasons, accommodation.

•To control competition—either by encouragement or discouragement. © To secure the proper siting and good standard of premises and amenities.

© To regulate the environment and circumstances in which alcoholic liquor might be sold and

consumed, as a means of educating and promoting responsible attitudes towards the use of liquor.

Issues covered in the discussion paper were not exhaustive, Mr Palmer said. It raised for discussion the need for having liquor legislation, the aims of liquor law and related issues such as polls, sanctions, drinking by minors, Sunday sales, and advertising. The working party had already called for submissions to be made by interested parties by November 16. Once submissions had been received, the working party would travel throughout New Zealand to obtain further views before work began on the draft legislation, Mr Palmer said. Copies of the discussion paper are available from the Justice Department.