McClay Todd: Alcohol Reform Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
McClay Todd: Alcohol Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 30 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:5026. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) 
: 
 I am concerned about harm that is done by the use of alcohol in all aspects of our community but particularly harm that is done to young people. For me this is not an issue of rights fairness or equality. It is about changing attitudes about being responsible and about protecting people of all ages from harm but importantly protecting young people from harm. 
 I do not believe that at the age of 18 you are too young to be able to purchase alcohol or too young to be able to prove that you are responsible enough to consume alcohol. But what I do believe happens in our society is that far too many people of the age of 18 who are associating with those who are younger are not the role models that we need. Indeed we have heard from other speakers that their parents and those around them are not providing the right role models the right direction that they should have. 
Therefore I am a supporter of the split age for the following reasons. I have run a youth advisory committee in my electorate over the last 3 years. A group of outstanding young school people aged 17 and 18 have come together each year to talk about issues of importance to them. I have asked them to challenge me about some of my views in this area. Indeed I asked them about some of the things they see with their friends when they are out and about in our suburbs at night-time. What they have told me has concerned me greatly about some of the messages around alcohol that we are sending to young people. I accept what others who have spoken in this debate have said—that it is not just those of a younger age who are being harmed or causing harm with alcohol; it is people of many ages. But I do believe that many of the messages that we send reinforce the behaviour that develops and that has an effect upon New Zealanders as they grow into adults. 
When I challenged these young people on my youth advisory committee to say what is the No. 1 thing that we can do to protect younger people under the age of 18 from the harm of alcohol they said to me to put the age up. But at the same time they said they did not believe it was fair for them to be not trusted enough to go out and prove that they can be responsible. For that reason I believe a system where we have a split age where they can purchase and consume alcohol in an environment where there will be others who will be able to take some responsibility for them and to keep an eye on them is a very important way forward. It also means that at the age of 20 they can choose should they want to to purchase alcohol in a licensed establishment and those under the age of 18 will not be able to choose to accompany them. 
Having said that this is an issue as I said earlier about harm. I have consulted widely in my electorate of Rotorua and have received more than 4500 responses advertisements from newspapers and surveys about the views that my electorate has. Resoundingly as the Minister Simon Bridges said I have been sent a message that New Zealanders in provincial New Zealand in rural areas of New Zealand and in the cities and towns of my electorate are concerned about young people and alcohol and they want the age to rise. For this reason should the split age not come through it is my intention to shelter as many young people as we can of the age of 18 17 16 and 15 from the harm that alcohol does to help them to be more responsible and to help them to learn about alcohol so that they can be good citizens when they are older and not feature in some of the statistics we are so worried about. I will be voting for the age to rise to 20. 
I will not take the rest of my time because we have moments left and other members have not spoken. But can I finally just say to all those who have fought a campaign that it is worthwhile for them to have done so but they should be respectful of others’ views. This is an important issue to others. As the father of four children I have decided that what I want to do is have more responsibility for them. Thank you.