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The National Government will look again at raising the legal drinking age from 18 to 20 this year. New Justice Minister Simon Power, who voted to keep the age at 18 when it last came up in 2006, said it would be considered again in the context of a bill to give local councils more control of liquor outlets.
The Sale and Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill was introduced by the former Labour Government last August and has been picked up without change by the new Government. It is due to have its first reading when Parliament resumes and will then go to a select committee for public submissions.
Although the bill does not refer to the drinking age, Mr Power said he was sure there would be submissions asking for the age to be raised.
"You can't have a discussion about the sale and supply of liquor without the drinking age being factored in," he said.
The age was cut from 21 to 20 in 1967 and was lowered again to 18 in 1999.
The last Parliament voted by 72-49 against a private member's bill by former Hamilton West MP Martin Gallagher to raise the age back to 20 in 2006, after several MPs were swayed by a last-minute Government announcement that it would review the wider issue of controls on under-age drinking.
Mr Power said he himself voted to keep the age at 18 because he believed the drinking age should not be dealt with in isolation.
"I sat on the select committee that heard submissions, and two things struck me," he said.
"First, when the police came before that committee they said that in 51 per cent of cases [of under-age drinking] the last drink had been taken at home. That has stuck in my mind.
"Second, one has the issue of the proliferation of liquor licences and the hours they operate. I think that to deal with the drinking age in isolation from those would have us going round in circles."
He said any new vote would be a conscience issue. Among other things, the bill:
* Tightens up enforcement of the existing age limit by requiring retailers or bartenders to see a passport, driving licence or another document with photographic identity and proof of age to prove that a young person is 18 or over. The current law allows them to simply have "reasonable grounds" to believe the person was 18.
* Gives police powers to refer under-age drinkers to alcohol early intervention programmes.
* Makes it an offence, with a fine of up to $2000, for an adult to supply liquor to anyone under 18 without the consent of the young person's parent or guardian.
* Lowers the allowable blood alcohol level to zero for people under 20 without a full driving licence.
* Bans liquor sales in shops of less than 150sq m.
* Allows local councils to draw up plans governing the number, location and opening hours of liquor outlets.
