KEY POINTS:
The Government has the votes to implement measures aimed at tightening the supply of liquor to minors, but even supporters say the changes don't go far enough.
In February Justice Minister Mark Burton announced a review of the sale and supply of liquor to under 18-year-olds.
At
the time he said proposals could include imposing harsher punishment on those who sell liquor to underage people and tighter controls on alcohol-supply by others.
Mr Burton is consulting the Maori Party, the Greens, NZ First and United Future about a package of measures, which are understood to include:
* Creation of a new offence for an adult (except a parent or guardian) to supply alcohol to anyone under 18 who goes on to consume alcohol in a public place;
* A new offence for anyone under 18 to supply another minor with alcohol to be consumed in a public place;
* Managers of licensed premises to lose their right to sell alcohol if they are caught selling alcohol to minors three times within three years;
* Zero tolerance of alcohol consumption for drivers aged under 20. The current limit is 30mg for every 100ml of blood, lower than the 80mg limit for over-20s;
* Tighter rules over which documents those selling alcohol can rely on as proof of a young person's age.
* Changing the law to remove reasonable grounds as a defence and requiring sellers to rely on approved proof of age documents.
Green Party drugs and alcohol spokeswoman Metiria Turei today said the measures were an improvement on the status quo and would therefore probably receive Green support.
However she said they failed to address the main problem, which was the 60 per cent of the teens who were supplied alcohol by their parents or guardians.
Failing to adequately supervise teenagers after supplying them with alcohol should also be made an offence, she said.
New Zealand First law and order spokesman Ron Mark also said the changes did not go far enough and would not achieve what they set out to do.
However the party was likely to support anything that even slightly improved the current situation.
The backing of the two parties would give the Government the majority it would need to pass any legislation.
Last year Parliament narrowly voted against raising the drinking age from 18 back to 20.
According to 2006 Alac (Alcohol Advisory Council) research into the "usual" source of supply for underage drinkers, 60 per cent said it was their parents, 30 per cent said friends aged 18 and over, and 10 per cent said they bought it themselves.
- NZPA
