National has no need to play politics on alcohol

If the National Government is genuinely committed to taking action to reform alcohol and drink-driving laws around young people, there is already legislation in the House that could be enacted quickly, say Labour Transport spokesperson Darren Hughes and Transport Safety spokesperson Darien Fenton.

“Labour has been trying to take a bipartisan approach to alcohol issues in Parliament, but National’s approach is determinedly political,” Darren Hughes said.

“The best example is National’s refusal to allow a conscience vote on my bill that would lower the blood alcohol limit to 0.05g of alcohol per 100ml of blood,” Darren Hughes said.

“But two other Bills were introduced in 2008 --- by Peter Dunne with the blessing of Labour’s cabinet, and by Associate Justice Minister Lianne Dalziel --- that between them sought, among other things, to raise the minimum driver licensing age from 15 to 16, to cut the alcohol limit to zero for drivers under 20 who don’t have a full licence, and to sharply stiffen penalties for selling alcohol to minors.

“Lianne Dalziel’s legislation (Sale of Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill) in particular was designed to make it more difficult for minors to obtain alcohol and to try to create an environment in which parents took more responsibility for their children,” Darren Hughes said.

“But this was the era in which anything Labour did, no matter how good or far-sighted it might have been, was automatically branded as nanny state by National.

“Now National is in government, and is apparently set on much the same path as Labour in terms of alcohol law reform, it is trying to re-invent the wheel, when there is already legislation in the House that could serve the same purpose.”

Labour Transport Safety spokesperson Darien Fenton said National’s “political” approach was galling.

“We have an opportunity to work together in many ways to create a safer and more responsible drinking environment, but National still wants to play politics. That’s a real shame.”

ENDS

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