PRESS RELEASE

18 January 2012

Reality Check on Alcohol

The mob attack on Kawhia Constable Perry Griffen should be a reality check for New Zealand Parliament; a parliament that failed to deliver any serious alcohol reforms to our communities, says Conservative Party Leader Colin Craig.

“I couldn’t agree more with the comments this week of Police Commissioner Peter Marshall, who when commenting on the Kawhia attack, said the common factor in violent attacks appears to be alcohol and drugs.”

“Sensible leadership is based on looking at the facts as they are. The ‘Alcohol in our Lives’ report commissioned by the government, produced 153 recommendations. The report was evidence based, and relied on factual data, including extensive input from frontline experts.”

“To have substantially watered down or ignored the recommendations in that report is poor leadership," says Mr Craig.

“If we are to take our social problems seriously, particularly when it comes to crime, social wellbeing, and health, we must take alcohol reform seriously.”

“For this reason the Conservative Party absolutely supports the raising of the purchasing age, and an increase in excise tax.”

“It’s time that ordinary New Zealanders stopped having to pay for those with a binge drinking lifestyle.”

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These comments from Colin Craig follow on from The Conservative Party’s statement last year, in which Colin said that getting the alcohol industry to police itself is like “getting the fox to look after the chickens.”

ENDS

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Arguably Reassuring: Inspector-General Finds GCSB "Arguably" Legal

Of the 88 individuals:

• 15 cases involving 22 individuals did not have any information intercepted by GCSB.

• another four cases involving five individuals were the subjects of a New Zealand Security Intelligence Service warrant and the GCSB assisted in the execution of the warrants. The Inspector-General is of the view that there were arguably no breaches and the law is unclear.

• the Bureau only provided technical assistance which did not involve interception of communications, involving three of the individuals, so no breach occurred.

• the remaining cases involved the collection of metadata, and the Inspector-General formed the view that there had arguably been no breach, noting once again that the law is unclear.
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