McNair Craig: Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction)  Amendment Bill — First Reading 
McNair Craig: Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction)  Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:625;Page:20515] 
CRAIG McNAIR (NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First members support this bill. I start by saying that New Zealand First has been the only party to be totally consistent in voicing its absolute opposition to the lowering of the drinking age with all New Zealand First MPs having voted against the lowering of the drinking age back in 1999. New Zealand First has led the way on this issue not only by voting against the lowering of the drinking age but also by our leader Winston Peters introducing the Local Government (Prohibition of Liquor in Public Places) Amendment Bill back in 2001 so that councils could take control of their streets. It has worked. 
Another New Zealand First member’s bill the Sale of Liquor (Increase the Drinking Age) Amendment Bill sponsored by my colleague Ron Mark and now in the name of Bill Gudgeon would return the law to what it was in 1999. We acknowledge that the bill Ron Mark sponsored is different from Matt Robson’s bill but as Wayne Mapp said the bill before us can be sent to the select committee so that it can discuss and talk through the issues hear from New Zealanders who are working at ground level with teenagers and so on and make its decisions from there. New Zealand First put its bill in the ballot 3 years ago before any other member had even thought of doing so and while Matt Robson was still wondering whether lowering the drinking age was a good idea or a bad idea. 
The actions of MPs who voted 5 years ago to bring the drinking age down to 18 years were nothing short of shameful. We have an epidemic of teenage drunkenness in this country and it is time for the MPs who voted for this madness to accept that they got it wrong and to restore the drinking age to 20 years. If the police had the resources to absolutely contain youth drinking to those aged over 18 then the current legislation might be appropriate. But youth drinking definitely has not been contained. I believe that every member of this House would agree with that. New Zealand First did its homework on this issue and made the obvious point that drinking would spread like wildfire to younger people. But people did not believe us. We told them and nothing is as sad as saying: “We told you so.” 
Tonight I will name MPs who voted for that legislation who are still in this House because it is shameful that they even thought of it—that they did not listen to New Zealand First to thousands of New Zealand parents and to people who work with young people. They did not listen to those ordinary New Zealanders. Those MPs include Shane Ardern from National and the current Minister of Police George Hawkins—an incompetent Minister who finds it hard enough to make tough decisions on a good day much less make a simple decision that clearly would affect New Zealanders. He voted for the legislation. A Minister of Police of all people voted to bring the drinking age down to 18 years. The Minister of Education Trevor Mallard the man who is looking after our young people—the children of our nation— 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Yeah right! 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: That is right—yeah right! The current Minister of Education voted for a disgraceful piece of legislation that New Zealand First warned all members of Parliament about. Wayne Mapp as he mentioned voted for the legislation. Tim Barnett did—well everybody knows that Tim Barnett votes for such legislation. Mark Burton David Carter John Carter from National Lianne Dalziel Rod Donald and United Future leader Peter Dunne voted for it. When I was on the campaign trail and at different debates and so on when we candidates were asked what our party’s stance on the drinking age was not one United Future candidate—not one future United Future MP—told people what the United Future party thought how it had voted and how its leader had voted on this issue. New Zealand First says that that is disgraceful. Bill English from National and Rodney Hide from ACT voted for the legislation.