Young Jonathan: Sale and Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill — First Reading 
Young Jonathan: Sale and Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:652;Page:1814] 
JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) 
: 
 Tonight we are discussing very important legislation that has come before this House. We are looking at the balance between liberty and responsibility but we are also looking at it within the framework of families with parental concern for their children. One of the things we understand especially through the growing teenage years is that alcohol seems to be a rite of passage that many young people seek. It seems to be one of the things that they consider marks their growing up and becoming more mature whereas in fact we see the misuse of alcohol as a sign of immaturity. Liberty without responsibility inevitably leads to a long list of ills whereby someone pays and pays tragically. This legislation will bring in measures that will protect our young people oft-times from themselves but also from adults who are less responsible than they are and protect them and our communities from the harm that the abuse of alcohol can bring. 
There is never an age where excessive drinking that leads to abusive behaviour is acceptable but it is exceedingly unacceptable when it is a minor who is affected by excessive alcohol. When we see the abuse the pain and the destruction that happens to adults and to families because of alcohol abuse it grieves us to think that such a path can be taken at an early age by those so young amongst us. It is unacceptable because they are forming values and behaviour patterns that often govern the entirety of their adult lives. A pattern of alcohol abuse can become ingrained in them. In our society there are many what I would call eases of attitude towards things that we would normally consider to be elements that we want our young people to move away from. We find ourselves today facing these situations with this legislation being presented to the House and I think it is very good legislation. 
This bill seeks to address the drinking behaviour of minors but it also seeks to address the behaviour of adults who enable minors to have access to alcohol. It brings a legislative framework that makes alcohol abuse amongst minors difficult. There is a change in attitude in New Zealand at the moment around alcohol issues that has been spearheaded by individuals and communities. They are demanding a say in liquor licensing decisions. Our nation has developed a drinking culture that feeds into crime violence family breakdowns and injury in all sorts of different ways. We as a nation need to focus on and address this drinking culture and this legislation goes a long way towards doing that. The harm that results from our drinking culture is very high compared with a few years ago when people did not accept that we had a binge drinking culture in this country. We have a drinking culture that oft-times seeks to alleviate the pain anger and frustration that adults carry but amongst young people we have a drinking culture that seeks to lift a person up to be idolised by his or her peers. 
Peer pressure is very strong especially amongst teenagers. Last weekend I had a conversation about peer pressure with some 13-year-olds. Peer pressure is something that tends to make our young people and even adults do things that would not normally be acceptable or are unsafe or unwise. Our greatest concern regarding alcohol and young people is the injury that occurs especially with the use of motor vehicles. It is very good to see that this legislation provides for a zero tolerance regarding alcohol consumption for people under 20 who do not have a full licence. 
There is also increasing concern about the extent of alcohol-related harm. Communities are frustrated by their inability to manage that harm. There is a need to improve local control over where to whom when and how alcohol can be sold in communities to ensure that social impact is taken into account in the licensing conditions. In this context the policy objectives of the bill are to improve the compliance and responsibility of industry to increase community input into licensing decisions and to support a more moderate and responsible drinking environment and culture to address the normalisation of youth drinking. We want to see the responsibility that friends and adults have towards each other improved and enhanced. They are the ones through whom young people in particular can have access to alcohol. We want to see an increase in youth responsibility and accountability and clarification of the types of premises that may hold off-licences. 
Accountability is a word that this Government has used on a number of occasions. Accountability basically says that there are areas in our communities and society that need redress and we want people to be thinking about them and acting in responsible ways. In addition this legislation introduces new offences for adults supplying liquor to minors without consent and it increases penalties and the limitations of defence for sellers of liquor. It is very important that these aspects are brought to the select committee to be discussed and are then brought back to the House. 
Solutions rely on changing the behaviour of individuals and communities. The answer is not and never has been just legislation. There has to be an intent a decision and a commitment within a community that we want to have safer communities and healthy environments for our young people to grow up in. I would much prefer that parents teach responsibility to their sons or daughters rather than their learning to drink somewhere else away from the jurisdiction of their home. I believe that parents have a part to play in this whole process. Legislation must gird the efforts of parents and communities to train their children to become people who have a responsibility for the freedoms that our democracy affords them. Where there is an absence of legislation there is a great lag in support for parents and communities. 
The addressing of these problems involves having a supportive regulatory environment and we must also have public awareness through informed community groups and discussion forums in our communities talking about these problems—particularly in areas where our young people are involved such as sporting venues and clubs. There needs to be an ownership of the issues an understanding of the rights and responsibilities and consistent and effective enforcement. 
This bill introduces a number of new measures. It introduces a new system of enforced self-regulation of alcohol advertising. The present regime is voluntary self-regulation. I believe that enforced self-regulation hardens up an area that must be attended to. This legislation takes into consideration the frustration that communities have with the number of liquor outlets popping up. Communities in Mairangi Bay Oranga Mount Roskill South in Auckland and Cannons Creek in Porirua have all protested against proposed new liquor outlets. One hundred people were drawn to a protest march in Porirua on 8 December and there were almost 1000 signatures on a petition against the latest proposed liquor store in Roskill South which would be across the road from two schools and a kindergarten. There are some changes coming to this country changes that I believe are well due and I commend this bill to the House. 
Bill read a first time.  
Bill referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee.