Roy Heather: Customs and Excise (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Third Reading 
Roy Heather: Customs and Excise (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:608;Page:5397] 
HEATHER ROY (ACT NZ) 
: 
 I agree with my colleague the Hon Richard Prebble when he says that this bill is definitely misnamed. He is quite right when he says that the words “stealth tax” should be added to it because it is nothing more than that. This bill is nothing more than a stealth tax and we are here at midnight debating it because Michael Cullen does not want to impart his bad news on Budget night. 
If we look at the title even further the addition of “ice cream” is entirely appropriate. If we look at the schedules we will see that ice cream is clearly stated several times to be part of the increase in excise duty so the title should read “Customs and Excise Stealth Tax (Alcoholic Beverages and Ice Cream) Amendment Bill”. A little wordy it might be but it is a much truer reflection of what the bill is actually about. 
I would like to move on to Helen Duncan’s comments about mothers. Mothers will be happy with this bill she says. I am a mother and I am extremely unhappy with this bill. I am particularly unhappy that I am standing here talking about this ridiculous bill at midnight. When I mention the fact that I am a mother Jill Pettis normally shrieks across the Chamber to ask why I am not at home with my children and that is a very good question. The reason I am standing here at midnight is that United Future has agreed to this urgency. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: The family party! 
HEATHER ROY 
: The family party is keeping me from my family tonight because Michael Cullen cannot bring himself to bring his bad news out on Budget night. [ 
Interruption 
] Mothers in this House are certainly not happy with this bill. I can tell members that for nothing. 
Helen Duncan 
: I’m a mother and I’m happy. 
HEATHER ROY 
: I am a mother too and I am very unhappy because I would rather be at home doing my after-hours job with my children. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Rather than taxing the voters! 
HEATHER ROY 
: That is exactly right. [ 
Interruption 
] No it will not help at all because there are plenty of other people who want to speak about this bill and quite rightly so. 
I want to carry this line of thought on for a bit longer. As a mother—and fathers in this House will agree with me too—I am responsible for my children. Parents need to take responsibility for their children particularly when it comes to buying and imparting alcohol to them. Of course this bill completely misses the point. It was meant to encompass all of those alcopops and ready-to-drinks. 
Helen Duncan 
: No it wasn’t. 
HEATHER ROY 
: Oh it was not meant to? I would like to invite that member to take a call after me and explain the comments she is just making. I am reading directly from the commentary in which the general policy statement states: “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.” If that is true why does this bill not encompass alcopops? Increasing the duty payable on these products so that they are more correctly priced aims to reduce consumption so I would like Helen Duncan to take a call after I have finished speaking and tell us why these bottles are not included in the bill. If the statement in this commentary is true they certainly should be. I think it is time for a little honesty in this Chamber and I would call for that. Michael Cullen is not being honest in his Budget lead-up and now the commentary is not even being honest about the whole purpose of this bill. 
Why will this Labour Government do anything that stops people taking responsibility for themselves? That is my next question. If this Government were serious about reducing alcohol consumption it would be trying to incorporate these things although it is very difficult to tell now whether it is or is not doing that.