BOOZE BAN

The National Government rolled out a pragmatic policy on alcohol this week. It may not be as harsh as some hardliners want, but it does go some way to addressing the appalling problems our country has developed around booze drinking. What excites me is the responsibility and power handed to the Local Councils to tackle the issue in their respective communities. I’m personally campaigning on ‘ban-on-booze’ and ‘cap-on-liquor outlets’ policies. I expect to take the law to the line with off-licences. The Government has put in ‘default’ trading hours from 7am to 11pm. I intend to enforce trading hours from 10am to 2pm and then 6pm to 11pm for all off-licences within a one kilometre radius of schools.

Local Councils will also have the power of veto of licence renewals for dairies and grocery stores. I champion small businesses but for those that say it’ll send the shop keeper to the wall are delusional. Small business owners are innovators and entrepreneurial. They’ll no doubt be able to replace alcohol with other items and if they can’t or won’t then; were they really a dairy or grocery in the first place; the answer is probably no.

The CBD also has a ban on illicit drinking in public spaces and places that’s the type of ban that should be in our area of Mt Albert. For those that say it’ll just force the riff-raff into another suburb – it won’t if all communities enforce the same law. It’s not rocket science!


The other major issue which needs to be looked at is the excessive advertising of alcohol. This needs to be pegged back as well. The National Government’s policy didn’t address this concern but Local Councils can. If there is to be any public display of advertising it should be restricted to window fronts only and not large over sized hoardings and sandwich boards.

In the Mt Albert electorate there’s an off licence right beside a Plunket Rooms and Primary School – that’s not on. It needs to go. Further down the road there’s an off- licence right next door to a small children’s play ground where riff raff can congregate to drink – that’s not on. That off-licence needs to go.

These aren’t hard line measures I’m championing. These are practical measures that support a pragmatic Central Government Policy. I’m not a rah-rah for tyrannical dictatorship social-whipping. I’m advocating safe streets, connected communities traditional values of respecting people and property.

With the local body elections coming up, now’s the time for the communities and locals to take control of their neighbourhoods. Now is the time to vote for common sense and visionary leadership. This City needs Citizens and Ratepayers. Let’s make this great City of ours succeed. Together we can do this.