McNair Craig: Customs and Excise (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Third Reading 
McNair Craig: Customs and Excise (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:608;Page:5407] 
CRAIG McNAIR (NZ First) 
: 
 I want to start by referring to the explanatory note. It states under the heading “Part 1”: “Clause 2 relates to the commencement of the Bill. The provisions that relate to beverages containing between 14% and 23% alcohol by volume come into force on the date on which the Bill receives the Royal assent. The other provisions come into force on 1 June 2003.” I want to focus on the provisions that relate to beverages containing between 14 and 23 percent alcohol by volume. 
I used to—and still do every now and then—hang out at our local rugby league club. The Hibiscus Coast Raiders do very well in the Bartercard Cup trophy. I used to play in the open age restricted team and we would go out on the field and get hammered a bit and after the game we would go into the club and have a few drinks. A lot of the boys in our league team would go up to the bar but I never heard one of them say: “I want a man’s drink. I’ll have a sherry.” The girlfriends drank lollipop drinks or what we have been calling alcopops. I did not see one of them drinking dessert wines port or similar drinks. 
Interestingly the explanatory note states: “The 14-23% range of products predominantly consists of light spirits fortified wines and sherries. Light spirits in particular are the drink of choice for many teenagers and young persons and are contributing to excessive levels of alcohol consumption within these groups.” We know there is excessive alcohol consumption within those age groups but I have to make the point that from what I have seen around the place—and this is not just my point of view but the view of many members tonight in the Committee including my colleagues Ron Mark and Dail Jones—the high alcohol consumption of young people hardly involves light spirits or sherry; it involves drinks like that sitting on Ron Mark’s table over there KGB Vodka which was one of the first lollipop drinks. I ask the member to turn the drink round so that everybody can see it. It was one of the first alcopop drinks that came out and all the other ones followed—Tattoo Vodka Cruiser and Smirnoff Ice followed soon after. Just recently there has been Archers Aqua which is over on Nick Smith’s table. That came out in the last year or so. 
Deborah Coddington 
: How much alcohol? 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: That is a very good question. It is 5 percent. But when I looked at the bill I saw that it did not mention 5 percent. 
Brent Catchpole 
: That’s below 14 to 23 percent. 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: Another member in another part of the Committee says that it is below the 14 to 23 percent alcohol range of products which predominate as far as excessive drinking by young people is concerned. Members on this side of the Committee who have talked about this bill particularly my colleagues Ron Mark and Dail Jones make a very good point. I really think this Government is making an excuse. It is saying that it wants to reduce the harm to young people—