Watts SimonSIMON WATTS (National—North Shore): Eleven days to Christmas and my true love gave to me the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Community Participation) Amendment Bill. Well—eleven days to go. And after listening to the contribution from the member for Tukituki you can understand why this Government is looking forward to Christmas and getting out of this place. This is another bill in a trilogy in a litany in a long long line of bills that are not going to deliver better outcomes for hard-working Kiwis. We're getting a lot of jib from the other side a lot of comment coming across and I'm going to use the opportunity to say—I can tell you what I can see who's driving a lot of people to drink in this country at the moment and that is this Government. The way in which they are making such dismal decisions no doubt is driving a lot of people to despair and a lot of people to drink and that is obviously not appropriate but I can give hope to those people that next year things will change.This bill is not based on any evidence and if only this was the only bill that I could say that about. But we know time and time again bills come to this House on to this Order Paper rammed through under urgency by a Government that's using its majority that are not based on evidence. The regulatory impact statement as I heard from one of my colleagues before hasn't even been done and so irrespective of where we are this is rushed legislation that is not going to deliver the outcomes for hard-working Kiwis. That is a great shame but it is reflective of a desperate Government that is on the ropes.National absolutely acknowledges the impact that alcohol and misuse has and the serious harms that alcohol has within our communities but we also believe in the premise around personal responsibility. We need to ensure that we empower those elements within our community particularly our business areas and our local government to be able to play their role in regards to the implementation of laws in this space. This law takes away an appeals process which in effect precludes the ability for parties that are impacted by this decision to provide evidence in regard to the decision. If this was the only bill that's taking away rights and responsibilities from hard-working Kiwis—but again this adds to a long line of legislation that is following this ideological bent by this Government.This appeal process and mechanisms to ensure that councils have the ability to implement or play a part in that conversation are being taken out. That's inconsistent with how this type of process operates in other areas and it also I think as outlined by a colleague and friend Chris Penk really goes to the heart of weakening an overall process to ensure that appropriate debate is had on what are important conversations within our neighbourhoods and our communities.National absolutely support the practical harm reduction initiatives that work alongside those within our community institutions and really the answer to these solutions is very much at a neighbourhood and community level. My role as a volunteer ambulance officer and registered paramedic—I see the impacts face-on in terms of alcohol and drugs and what impact that has on individuals and family. And in those instances the challenge really is ensuring that we have the appropriate support at both a family and whānau level to support those individuals which have an underlying general addiction to alcohol. The restriction in terms of this process will not deal with the underlying aspects which will actually provide solutions for those individuals and that's a great shame.National will be opposing this legislation. We will be following its progress through to the select committee process but I really do wish that the members on the other side of the House use the opportunity over the summer break to reflect on what has occurred this year and come back in the new year with a little bit more ambition and positivity. Thank you Mr Speaker.