Sio William: Alcohol Reform Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Sio William: Alcohol Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 24 October 2012. Volume:685;Page:6142. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Su’a WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Mangere) 
: 
 Malo le soifua Mr Chairman. Thank you for the opportunity. I want to address my remarks to Part 3 Subpart 3 of the Alcohol Reform Bill and more particularly the amendment that is in my name on Supplementary Order Paper 111. But I want to begin with some preliminary comments. If people look at South Auckland they will find that in the past several years that community has been under constant attack on several fronts which has had significant impact on people’s well-being in the areas of high unemployment the high deficit in housing affordability the low wages and the area of health. In health we have some of the worst statistics—worse than other communities throughout Aotearoa. In that area alcohol particularly alcohol-fuelled violence alcohol-fuelled domestic violence alcohol-fuelled suicide and alcohol-fuelled murders as we all know have been in the papers of late and in the past several years. We often forget that this is really about a portion of the community that abuses the consumption of alcohol but that over the years it has been a part of a culture that collectively we have built up. 
In South Auckland we are beset with the proliferation of liquor outlets more so in our community than in other communities. We have got signs of alcohol advertising that litter our streets giving full exposure to everybody particularly young people who are walking to and from school. We have heard in the news of deaths of young people who have either essentially abused the consumption of alcohol or committed suicide fuelled by the culture that it is OK to get wasted. We continue as a country to perpetuate the alcohol culture—that it is OK to get drunk it is OK to get wasted. The South Auckland communities I have to say are sick and tired of that. You Mr Chair and my colleague here Louisa Wall will know full well that over the past several years there have been marches there have been protests and there have been community meetings held and you will find that there is a unanimous feel in the community that we are sick and tired of the alcohol culture which many of our community believe is driven by vested interests that are contrary to the interests of children and families. The majority of communities want parliamentarians to take seriously the recommendations of the Law Commission. 
Our front-line emergency people at Middlemore Hospital are sick and tired of having to deal with fixing the broken bones the wounds etc. that come in the early hours of the morning. The police themselves have said that they want parliamentarians to toughen up on alcohol availability to protect our communities. I have to say that by and large you will find that in the community in South Auckland there is great disappointment that when they had hoped that we had this opportunity as the Government as parliamentarians to really make a change for the better for the community that has not been the signal that this Government has given to our community. 
So I want to introduce a Supplementary Order Paper. I will be looking to support all the other Supplementary Order Papers that colleagues are putting forward because I think it is an opportunity that we should not miss to make some changes that will support our communities and protect future generations from a culture that we have contributed to over the years. My Supplementary Order Paper proposes an amendment to the Alcohol Reform Bill to provide an opportunity for schools’ boards of trustees and early childhood centres within a radius of 3 kilometres to have their views taken into account when an application for a liquor licence is made in that area. The amendment provides an opportunity for schools and early childhood education centres if they so choose to have a say in the location of liquor outlets with a view to reducing children’s exposure to alcohol on their way to and from school. We have too many in my community and almost all of these outlets will have huge signs as I have said that litter our streets and place themselves in the face of children on the way to and from school. 
I think most of us will agree that you will find that most of the community representatives on the school boards of trustees or early childhood education centres will have a better idea than most and provide accurate information on which liquor outlets have behaved responsibly in their areas and which outlets blatantly act irresponsibly and flout the law in advertising selling to under-age children and allowing drinking outside their premises. There is general consensus that the harm in the communities is caused by not only those intoxicated or who abuse alcohol consumption but also by those who sell liquor in an irresponsible manner. For the communities who care about what happens in their neighbourhoods especially with the children in our communities there is a strong feeling that we have got to do all we can to at least limit the harm and abuse that arise from alcohol availability and in particular the exposure of young children to alcohol. 
My Supplementary Order Paper provides an opportunity to the members of the local community boards of trustees of schools or early childhood centres to have their say and be heard if they choose to provide a view on the location of liquor outlets in their communities. The Minister of Justice I understand has pointed out that the Alcohol Reform Bill has provisions for local alcohol policy to be established and she has indicated that therefore she will not support my Supplementary Order Paper. I would say that although the Alcohol Reform Bill does provide for local alcohol policy these provisions are voluntary and unless the council initiates it those local alcohol policies will not exist. Furthermore the process for establishing local alcohol policies will be a long public consultative process which we all know can be quite draining on the community and can certainly be quite expensive. My amendment offers an alternative that can happen immediately without the drawn-out consultative process and can eliminate the costly normal public process. And though it might be difficult for the boards of trustees to be able to determine the future impact of any alcohol availability and advertising on children my amendment at least provides an opportunity for the local community to be heard if it so chooses and for the district licensing agency to consider the concerns of that community and of that school and the substance of those concerns. 
I would urge members of the Government because it is up to them in terms of the numbers not only to support my amendment but I think to take seriously all the amendments that members have put up. It is not about politicking; it is about genuinely representing the strong views that do exist. And the Minister will know this because those views also exist in her community in Papakura. So I move that. Thank you.