Alcohol action exposed
Some lobby groups are issue driven, and legitimately criticise the Government for things they disagree with. There are other groups that become so partisan than no matter what, they just attack the Government.
Alcohol Action has just shown today that it is now obsessed with attacking the Government, regardless of the situation.
They put out two press releases today. The first was at 11.01 am:
Government in urgency, set to bury their weak Alcohol NON-Reform Bill by the end of the week
Is the Government trying to bury its impotent response to New Zealand’s heavy drinking culture by quickly and quietly passing the Alcohol Reform Bill under cover of the Rugby World Cup?
“It looks as if the Government wants the Alcohol Reform Bill done and dusted by Friday,” says Alcohol Action spokesperson Prof Doug Sellman.
So in this press release, Alcohol Action attacks the Government for trying to pass the alcohol reform bill this week. They incidentally got their facts wrong – all the Government has done is schedule the second reading for today – there is no urgency planned for this week for the bill.
Then a second press release at 12.46 pm:
Government working hard, but not to pass their weak Alcohol NON-Reform Bill by the end of the week, or by the end of the year …
“The situation is worse than we originally thought and it now looks as if the Government will leave the Alcohol Reform Bill still hanging at the end of this current Parliament,” says Alcohol Action spokesperson Prof Doug Sellman.
So now in this press release, they attack the Government for not getting the law rammed through in the dying stages of Parliament.
They stand exposed as a lobby group who will attack the Government, no matter what the Government does. So why should they be listened to, when the Government knows that nothing they do will please them.
September 13th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Surely the relevant point is that the Alcohol Reform Bill is complete nonsense – another piece of legislation that gives a pretence of action rather than doing anything to address a specific problem.
September 13th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
I’m still not sure what they’re even talking about with “New Zealand’s alcohol problem”.
I don’t have an alcohol problem. I know people who don’t drink – they don’t have alcohol problems. I know people who enjoy an occasional wine or beer – they don’t have alcohol problems. I know people who drink excessively on occasion without causing trouble for anyone.
So why are all of us being punished because some dickheads can’t handle their piss. Punish the guys who are causing the problem. Blanket punishment wasn’t fair in school (when lunch was delayed 10 minutes because some dickhead was talking), and it’s not fair now either.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Yes tristan, and while we’re at it abolish any restrictions on all other psychoactive substances, ditch all the meddlesome health and safety laws, scrap the Resource Management Act, remove all speed limits and abolish drink-driving laws. Nany state gone mad…
September 13th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
first sensible thing mikenmoron has ever said.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Sounds just like global warming alarmists. Hurricane – it’s much worse than we thought! Drought – it’s much worse than we thought! Normal weather – it’s much worse than we thought!
September 13th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
To be fair when they came to the Select Committee I sat on they attacked me as much as the government. Their spokesperson didn’t seem to have a great grip on reality in NZ.
[DPF: Good point. It might be that just attack all politicians, because you don't do exactly what they demand]
September 13th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Tell ‘em sorry we need the money; we don’t want to be caught short like Winston.
September 13th, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Under Labour we can all sip on our over-priced wine in the dim light of compulsory fluoro light bulbs. That’s surely a powerful vision for a prosperous future.
I remember in 1975 our family stayed at the Waitangi THC hotel. The light bulbs were all 40W and we couldn’t even read. Upon enquiry we were told that they were saving energy and those were the most powerful bulbs in stock. So we went down to the supermarket (luckily it was a week day, and before 5pm) and bought some 100W bulbs which we swapped back out as we checked out and took to our next THC hotel, where the process was repeated.
This is just to remind everyone how much fun it is to live under a Labour government!
September 13th, 2011 at 10:57 pm
I want to see a separate justice system for alcohol related crime (funded by the alcohol industry).
Same for health system.