Choudhary Ashraf: Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Choudhary Ashraf: Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:667;Page:14270] 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) 
: 
 I am really disappointed particularly with those two doctors Cam Calder and Paul Hutchison on the other side of the House. They spoke so passionately about the Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill because they know at heart the damage that alcohol does to adults children and unborn babies. Anyone who has anything to do with drinking knows the harm it does. I am really disappointed in Cam Calder particularly who pretends that he lives in Manurewa. He does not live in Manurewa. He opened an office there recently but only George Hawkins who is the local MP and I actually live there. 
Hon Member 
: He doesn’t live there either. 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: That is probably right; I am probably the only one who lives there. But George Hawkins is a good member for Manurewa and I am delighted that he has taken leadership in promoting this bill. 
I am probably the only MP here who does not drink. I am not aware of anybody else who does not. I do not drink. In the past I have not taken a lot of interest in these sorts of bills and because I do not drink people might think I oppose anything to do with alcohol. But tonight I am very keen to speak because this bill was introduced by my very good friend George Hawkins who is forever very conscious of the work he does in the community. In Parliament he reflects the aspirations of and is conscious of problems in that community. A couple of weeks ago he spoke in the House on his Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill a local bill. 
Very clearly my background is one in which any drug or substance that impacts on and impairs one’s faculties is banned. My people for the last 1500 years have not drunk. Now that we know the harm this drug has done to our society they were probably right in not drinking. 
This bill should be called the “Empowering Communities Bill” because that is really what it is all about. Basically it is empowering local communities to make sure that any new liquor outlet is not opened without their consent and without consultation with them. One could also call it the “Harm Minimisation Bill” because that is what it is supposed to do. 
I have a couple of statistics. For example in 1990 there were eight licences per 10000 people in New Zealand. That included on-licences off-licences and club licences. By the year 2006 there were 35 licences per 10000 people. That is almost more than a 400-fold increase in the number of outlets. In a place like Manurewa South Auckland that has done a lot of damage to the community particularly in relation to crime. We know that a lot of those crimes are committed against minorities. I know a lot of Indian people and one should never forget Navtej Singh who was killed because some people wanted to steal alcohol from his dairy. Similarly a number of other crimes have been committed because of alcohol. As we know from police reports 90 percent of crimes happen after 11 o’clock at night and are often related to the consumption of alcohol. 
This bill is important. Labour members and in particular the Maori Party have been promoting anti-smoking bills and so has the Green Party. Alcohol is a substance that harms not only the person who consumes it but also the people around that person because of the effect on driving and because of people going around drunk. Cigarettes often have bad effects on the consumer. Alcohol often impacts on family relationships on unborn babies—as has been said before—and on the wider community. So for the life of me I personally cannot understand why we need more outlets and why we have loosened regulations. That is something that for me at least I cannot understand. It is something that causes so much harm in the community and it is being allowed so openly and so much. 
Corner dairies have been mentioned. There are a couple of issues there. I personally do not believe that dairies should be allowed to sell alcohol but at the same time I have to say that some of my Indian friends have said that there has to be a level playing field. We cannot target just the dairies. If outlets like dairies have to stop selling alcohol why not the big supermarkets? If we are going to look at the hours of opening of these outlets there has to be a universal rule. Whether it is a dairy a small shop an RSA or a supermarket the rules must be similar. I have been approached by a number of dairy owners who are very concerned about some of the issues discussed in the Law Commission report on alcohol by Geoffrey Palmer. They are concerned that they might be targeted. We have to make sure that small corner dairies’ interests are taken into account when we are considering this bill. But I personally do not believe that dairies should sell alcohol because they are supposed to be selling food and other items that are useful for the community. 
All in all I support this bill. But I am really surprised tonight to hear members on the Government side of the House all telling nice stories about how bad alcohol is but still not supporting this bill. That is very disappointing. 
Once again I commend George Hawkins my friend and colleague who has brought this bill to the House and the effort he has put in behind this bill. I know that on our side of the House most of us if not all of us will be supporting this bill. I am delighted that the Green Party and the Maori Party will be supporting this bill as well. With those few words I commend this bill to the House. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: The question is that the Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill be read a second time. Those who are of that opinion will say Aye— 
Hon George Hawkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I request a personal vote be taken. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: You can do that once I have put the question. I want to get the sense of the House—that is the process. The question is that the Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill be read a second time. Those who are of that opinion will say Aye the contrary No. The Ayes have it. [ 
Interruption 
] The Noes have it?