Bennett GlenGLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth): Thank you Mr Speaker and yes I acknowledge Ian McKelvie for the wonderful opportunity that the biscuit tin provided him. When the previous speaker talks about how one of the last things he gets to do is this I'm sure he's had many last things he's done over many years whether it be in business whether it be on council whether it be here in Parliament. So I'm sure that Mr McKelvie has had plenty of wins in plenty of spaces and places. Tonight I'm grateful to be part of a party—part of the New Zealand Labour Party—that allows us to vote on our conscience when it comes to topics of alcohol and for that reason we on this side of the House hold differing views; who I sit next to on my left or right might hold a different perspective to what I hold.This piece of legislation the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Exemption for Race Meetings) Amendment Bill is one that I won't be supporting this evening. I respect Mr McKelvie and the work he does as I've said over many years but this is one that I won't be supporting. I want to I guess just explain a little bit why and sort of get to a place where—not that I convince others to vote my way but to know that my conscience in what I've been asked to do—Simon Court: Go on—assume this is a debate and this is Parliament. Have a go.GLEN BENNETT: —is the way that I will vote. So—thank you. I didn't hear anything you said but I don't need to. I am the MP for New Plymouth and in New Plymouth we have some very very strong organisations individuals and groups that lobby me hard and push on many topics. Alcohol is one of them. Alcohol is one of them that on an almost probably weekly basis I am having conversations and being pushed on. For that reason I want to honour the organisation New Plymouth Injury Safe who are doing a marvellous piece of work in New Plymouth around what does it look like when it comes to alcohol reform what does it look like when it comes to the reduction of harm in the consumption of alcohol. That's why for me—and I know people will think I'm a party pooper or I'm denying people things but thankfully I get to make my choice on this vote and I will be voting no.But I guess I just want to reflect as we look at the legislation—and I understand it's a very small piece here today but obviously I mean I was part of an organisation a number of years ago where we did serve alcohol for a particular event and we did have to get a special licence and I think that's an appropriate thing to do whether it's to serve alcohol on the premises or to allow the BYO I think because it's some checks and balances. They've been put in place for a reason: to ensure that organisations to ensure that businesses to ensure that racecourses and race meets have things in place to ensure that they protect people.I often look at this House and what we do and often it's not looking at the majority of people; it's looking at a small amount of people who often like to rort the rules or like to play them or just struggle when it comes to potentially something around alcohol. Four out of five New Zealanders do drink alcohol and I acknowledge that; that it is a pastime that is intimately ingrained in our culture here in New Zealand but one in four of those drinkers do drink hazardously. Of young adults particularly two in five do drink hazardously. For me in terms of the work I have done in community development and with young people but also the work in this House it is how do we ensure that our communities—how do we ensure that our culture is one that is inclusive and doesn't allow others to trip or fall?So when I look at this bill and I see it is—and we have several racecourses in my electorate obviously our main one in New Plymouth which is one of the bigger ones in our region. But I like as I said the checks and balances that take place when you use something like having to apply to a council for a special licence. In terms of looking at the alcohol consumed in New Zealanders it is a lot and I want to be part of a culture that starts to move away from that being just the given; that on a Friday night you go to the races or you go to the cinema or you go to a function or event and the first thing you are handed is a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. Because it doesn't need to be that way.This legislation isn't anything that's trying to encourage mass drinking I know but I think it's the small wins that we can have where actually we say OK how do we do it differently?" We don't need to have alcohol served at every event or for us to enjoy an afternoon at the races to enjoy an evening at the races. Yes getting dressed up; yes taking a pocketful of cash or whatever it is you do—it's fine—but the fact that it doesn't always have to involve a glass of wine or a bottle of beer.When we look at the numbers in 2018 there were 35 million litres of pure alcohol consumed in New Zealand. That equals quite a lot. Over the last 10 years pure alcohol available for consumption in New Zealand—although it's decreased slightly there have been big increases when it comes to spirit-based drinks up 22 percent and wine up 7 percent. I look at this House and I look back at the history of this House and alcohol reform and alcohol legislation has often been something that has been fought out that has been something that's often been high up on the agenda because it's quite important often for people and members of this House which interests me. I think one of the early laws that were first passed in the New Zealand Parliament in the 19th century actually was around drinking alcohol on site at Parliament because our rules were different to everyone else's because—I don't know maybe we needed more or maybe it was just a way of getting through the days or having to deal with other parties. I don't know.I want to thank the members of the Governance and Administration Committee who have followed through; to the submitters who have been engaged in this process because it is—and I'm always grateful for democracy in New Zealand that we have these tools and these ways to engage. So often in current times we've had challenges and pushbacks you know in terms of a closed Government but I look around the world and I would not want to be anywhere else but here to be a member of Parliament. Being able to sit on select committee and to be able to lean in and listen to what people think is good about legislation or to think about what they don't like or to critique and to change and to find ways to make it better.So therefore this Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Exemption for Race Meetings) Amendment Bill has been through that process and again Ian McKelvie a passionate supporter obviously of the racing industry and still the spokesperson I believe for racing on the National Party. So yeah I respect you for that. I won't be supporting it tonight but as we know across the floor there's been very different opinions and views on this piece of legislation. We've got this far to the third reading. I'll be interested to see where we go this evening. I assume I know where it'll go but that's OK; I'm here to vote as I believe.We need to have serious and hard conversations as a nation around alcohol. We need to be I believe in our clubrooms on our sports fields at our racecourses in our businesses in our schools in our churches on our marae talking about a way forward when it comes to consumption of alcohol looking at ways—for example with smoking 30 years ago that was just normal. My first job was in an office and smoking was still normal and I remember walking in and being completely covered in smoke. I always thought "Oh this will never change." and then of course in the early 2000s it was taking smoking out of bars and clubs. I thought that would never work; it wouldn't change but we have and the culture has changed and people have leaned in and moved forward with the times.I look forward to a day when we don't spend time debating issues of alcohol or where it can be used or it can't be used because we've come to a place where we've found a path forward that supports our young people that supports our vulnerable people a place where we can ensure that yes we may have alcohol in New Zealand but it's drunk—if there is even a way—safely that we don't have addiction we don't have loss of life we don't have health issues. Madam Speaker I appreciate the time and I won't be supporting this bill."