Women ‘tempted by giggle-juice’

Press, 1 June 1989, Page 8

Women ‘tempted by giggle-juice’

By

PETER LUKE

in Wellington

Plugs for "giggle-juice” near supermarket check-outs might prove too much of a temptation for women shoppers, argued the member of Parliament for Clevedon, Mr Warren Kyd (National), yesterday. For this reason he did not support the Sale of Liquor Bill proposal to allow supermarket sales of alcohol. The argument has been raised several times in debate over the bill— but it drew a withering response from the member of Parliament for Selwyn, Miss Ruth Richardson, last evening. A proposed amendment to limit suupermarket sales to wine was the "sheilas’ amendment,” argued Miss Richardson — based on the belief that women could not be trusted with exposure to other types of alcohol. Other speakers, including the member of Parliament for Ashburton, Ms Jenny Shipley, opposed the amendment — and the original clause — because it would normalise alcohol by putting it alongside food on supermarket shelves. Several speakers argued that wineonly sales would place this product in a

preferred position compared to beer and spirits. “Redolent of the yuppie ‘Metro’-reader market,” was the response of the Minister of Social Welfare, Dr Cullen. So affronted was another member that he drafted, on the spot, an amendment permitting supermarket sales of beer. But when put to the conscience vote, the result was 37-33 in favour of dry supermarkets — except those 50-odd already with licences. Parliament moved into its committee stage after a 12-hour Second Reading — the longest in recent years. Some 52 politicians spoke to the Second Reading, which survived two attempts from Labour members to curtail it. Threats to “kill” the bill came to nothing, as it passed easily into its committee stage. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, surprised some observers by supporting the bill’s move into committee stages — earlier he had vowed to oppose this, saying “If it works don’t fix it.” Once into committee, the House cut a swathe through the more than. 17 major amendments to the bill’s 207 clauses.