National squanders once-in-a-generation chance
Thursday, 11 November 2010, 4:51 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
11 November 2010 **Media Statement
**
**National squanders once-in-a-generation chance
**
Labour’s Justice spokesperson Lianne Dalziel told Parliament this afternoon that National had squandered a once-in-a-generation opportunity to curb the alcohol-related harm evidenced by the Law Commission’s report into alcohol.
“As the former Associate Minister of Justice, who introduced the Bill that this Bill replaces, and who helped write the very broad terms of reference for the most in-depth inquiry into our alcohol laws New Zealand has ever seen, I should be able today to describe this bill as a tribute to the members of the Law Commission and the more than 3000 New Zealanders who made their views known to them.
“It is a travesty that I cannot, but the truth is that this Bill does not even begin to meet the challenge posed by the evidence that the Law Commission presented to the government about what needs to be done,” Lianne Dalziel said.
“The Government has ignored evidence in the Commission’s report that said there were at least four other matters that had to be addressed --- lifting the price of the cheapest alcohol, the excessive commercialisation of alcohol, constraints on marketing New Zealand’s number one recreational drug and introducing stronger laws relating to alcohol and driving.
“The Government has refused to respond to the unprecedented community response to the harm that alcohol has wrought on their communities.
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“There have been marches in the streets against the granting of yet another liquor licence, and thousands have attended meetings organised by what started as a small group of health professionals who saw the real cost that alcohol imposes on the health system and which have now been signed up to by 100s of health professionals from one end of the country to the other.
“Healthy city and safer city networks have publicly raised concerns about the damage created to property and the unsafe environments that result when significant numbers of people are affected by alcohol. Individuals like Dr Albert Makary from Timaru, who wants people to acknowledge the harm being done to families, have spoken out around the country.”
Lianne Dalziel urged people to make submissions to the Select Committee in numbers too big to ignore. "This can still be a once-in-a-generation opportunity. People wanting meaningful change must demand that happens."
ENDS
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