Is Justice Minister weakening alcohol reform?

The Justice Minister needs to clarify whether or not she has done a deal with supermarkets to weaken the Alcohol Reform Bill, says Labour’s Associate Health Spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.

“Yesterday I visited a new supermarket in my electorate and observed the liquor section located right next to the front door where nobody can avoid walking by it.

“I asked the managing director of the company why they had done this when the Alcohol Reform Bill would require them to move all the liquor to a more discreet part of the store.

“He replied that he expected that once the Minister’s Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) on the bill passed, having alcohol right next to the front door would comply with the legislation.

“If this is true, it would significantly weaken an already insipid bill,” Iain Lees-Galloway said.

“The current bill says that a part of any premises is a thoroughfare if the premises are so configured or arranged that most customers are likely to find it impossible, difficult, or inconvenient to undertake a normal shopping trip on the premises (or impossible, difficult, or inconvenient to buy lottery tickets on the premises) without going through the part.

“This was added by the Select Committee and it sounds as if the Minister is not committed to it and has agreed to industry demands.

“In response to questions at today’s meeting of the Justice and Electoral Select Committee, Judith Collins did not deny that a deal has been done.

“The Minister needs to come clean. Has the very well-resourced supermarket lobby got to her and has she done a deal to weaken the Alcohol Reform Bill,” said Iain Lees-Galloway.