Mr. Holland Commends Courage Of The Government In Bringing Bill Down

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 December 1948, Page 6

Mr. Holland Commends Courage Of The Government In Bringing Bill Down

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland) described the Bill as the most interesting one of the session. Since entering Parliament he had had opportunities of observing the administration of the licensing laws throughout the Dominion, and had also been able to make comparisons with other countries. When, during the war, he visited the New Zealand troops on the battlefronts, their first question invariably was: “What are we going to do about our licensing laws?” Servicemen became accustomed to different systems of controlling the sale of alcohol, and as as result they asked: “When are we going to learn to drink sensibly in New Zealand?’’ Mr. Holland said that from 1943 onward he had made a detailed investigation of the liquor problem in the Dominion. He consulted friends who were staunch prohibitionists and he consulted the official prohibition movement, and then representatives of the liquor trade. He found all whom he approached keen to help him in his investigations. Prohibitionists had abandoned ffie old idea of letting the liqSor trade get so bad it would condemn itself in public opinion, while the liquor trade itself favoured moderation. The trade realised then that there was too much after-hour trading and was aware of other matters needing improvement Mr. Holland said that when he began these investigations his then colleagues told him to tread warily in a field which politicians had traditionally left alone, hut he was glad to say he brought both prohibitionists and the trade into agreement that an impartial inquiry was needed. This was months before the Government announced it would appoint a Royal Commission. Mr. Holland said he hsd not approved the constitution of the Royal Commission. He thought it wrong that when the liquor trade was being examined the trade should he directly represented on the Commission. It was not surprising that the views of the churches a.9d of the licensed trade were incompatible. Mr. Holland said the Bill, as introduced in the House was the Government's version of how far the report of the Royal Commission was to be followed, but the Bill had since been vastly improved as the result of the work of the select committee and he evidence submitted to it. “I welcome this Bill, because I hope that within my time in public life we will see an end of the situation in which Parliaments do not discuss this important problem.” said Mr Holland. People would applaud the fact that Parliament was at last endeavouring to deal with the problem instead of running awav from it. as past Governments and parties had done. He believed the Bill would make possible great improvements in the conduct and administration of ow licensing laws. There had been little attemnt at licensing reform for 40 vears. the subject having been regarded as untouchable politically. In the past interested parties, vested interest# and pressure

groups were sufficiently powerful to threaten the loss of votes against any members of Parliament who sought a change of laws. Tonight new ground was being broken in that pressure groups, social reformers and others, having had opportunity to state their views. Parliament was now dealing with the matter as ft thought best. That was what the country expected and sensible people would applaud Parliament’s courage in tackling the question without giving way to pressure groups of any sort. NOT LAST WORD. No one regarded this Bill as the last word on the subject, but it was an important beginning from which future Parliaments could work. Mr. Holland said unfortunate allegations had been made against him by a leader of the Methodist Church and by an official representative of the New Zealand Alliance to the effect that he was approving of the Bill being put through in a hurry. The responsibility for introducing the Bill when it did come down was entirely the Government’s; but he was aware of the Government’s difficulties in drawing up such a measure. He had said it would be a thousand pities if the House missed an opportunity of passing the Bill this session. If necessary, they would stay another week to put it on the Statute Book, but he saw no purpose in 20 or 30 members all saying the same thing. Mr. Holland said he respected the opinions of those who. by telegram, deputation and letter had urged to him that Bill be passed, or that it be delayed. However, having considered those representations. Members of Parliament must act according to their consciences. He personally thought it would be a grave error of judgment to miss this opportunity of passing the Bill. If the Bill were delaved for a year it would still not allow time for detailed consideration of all aspects of the probem and delay was not Justified. The establishment of a Licensing Control Commission should be welcomed. It would remove the possibilities of logrolling in the allocation of licences. He said he thought ho could express the sentiment* o* every member when he said that Parliament pinned all its hopes, faith and confidence in the Control Comm is sion. If the personnel were wisely chosen and the commissio proceeded with caution and with the goodwill o Parliament it would make a valuable contribution to the social welfare o' the country in the days that were ah°ad On the control authority rested two main functions -responsibility of administering the liquor laws of the country and the strengthening and enforcement of the law. He thought it would he wise to leave as much as nossib'o to the discretion of Ihe Control Commission, which, if it was found necessary, could ask Parliament ♦o enact legislation No one would say he was satisfied with the enforcement of the liquo” laws today, when clubs were raided in one part of the country and 'eft alone elsewhere. It would he the dibv of th” commission to correct undesirable conduct as ocipt <, d - ith t b ■ (red-' pnff it would he charged with the responsibility of reporting to Parliament

yearly. It would be of overwhelming advantage to the Government to find an independent tribunal which would accept the responsibility of recommending changes in licensing laws. He could not overstress the importance of selecting the best men available for appointment to the commis-1 sion, especially so far as the chairman , was concerned. He would suggest to • the Government that the chairman should be someone well qualified to weigh up evidence and view problems with a judicial mind, a map of high integrity and preferably unidentified with any political party. Further, said Mr. Holland, he could not over-emphasise the importance of removing licensing problems from the political sphere. Mr. Holland said that the old idea that once a licence was granted it must stay in the district forever did not make sense, and he was pleased that the Bill wisely made provision for licences to be redistributed and transferred to places where the population was denser. TOURIST LICENCES He thought that the lack of tourist | licences in the past had been harmful i to the tourist trade, which he had been told could be built up to an industry worth £1,000,000 a month once the proper facilities were made available to visitors. One of the great evils of the present system was where liquor was taken by the case into ‘ nlaces where a licence did not exist i and consumed in the worst conditions. The proposal to grant licences for works canteens was a wise one , and in that instance the lesson learnt by providing wet canteens in camps during the war years was being applied. Mr. Holland said licensing committees were to be given more authority and greater power in the supervision of hotels in their respective areas, and that was a need which was overdue- He thought that some peop l ? had reached an erroneous conclusion that new drinking points were being established by the provisions in the Bill for club charters. That was not so, but was putting a long established custom on to a proper basis. He welcomed the provision which allowed for an increase in penalties for afterhour trading by hotels.