Trusts attack authorities

Press, 23 November 1988, Page 4

Trusts attack authorities

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington Licensing trusts have attacked local authority responsibility for liquor licensing. They told the Parliamentary Select Committee considering sale of liquor legislation yesterday that local authorities had failed in their responsibility for liquor licensing in the past because they lacked people who understood alcohol’s effect as a mind-changing drug. The licensing trusts urged continuation of the Licensing Trust Commission as the over-all authority to review and grant liquor licences. Their submission recommended that to prevent the commission being seen as a quango, its funding should come from the liquor industry under the jurisdiction .. of the Justice Department. The legislation being considered by the select committee proposes that local authorities should issue liquor licences in future but the Licensing Trusts Association has recommended -S' that New Zealand look at the way things were done in Ontario, Canada, instead.