New bill from Rangitīkei MP Ian McKelvie aims to permit BYO alcohol at race meetings

Rangitīkei MP Ian McKelvie had his bill drawn from the ballot last week. It would see BYO become more widespread at race meetings. Photo / NZME

A new member's bill from Rangitīkei MP Ian McKelvie would see looser rules on the consumption of BYO alcohol at race meetings across the country if passed into law.

McKelvie, who is the National Party's racing spokesman, had his bill drawn from the ballot last week - the third member's bill over his parliamentary career.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Exemption for Race Meetings) Bill would introduce a clause exempting race meetings from section 235 of the act, which prevents premises without a licence from allowing BYO alcohol to be consumed anywhere on the property.

McKelvie said a normal race meet would see a club apply for a licence to sell alcohol at a specific area of the track, such as the clubhouse, while the rest of the track would be BYO.

But in recent years, police had begun to oppose BYO at a number of tracks when clubs had applied for licences, leading to clubs scrapping the ability to bring your own booze altogether.

"In the old days we had what you might call a picnic meeting, where families turned up with a picnic in the boot of their car, backed up to the running rail and watched the races," McKelvie said. "That's been stopped because of the way the liquor laws have been interpreted."

The bill was drafted by McKelvie's colleague, Chris Bishop, and put in the ballot under McKelvie's name as the party's racing spokesman.

Ian McKelvie, who is also the National Party's racing spokesman, says the bill will clear up any misinterpretation of the existing legislation. Photo / NZME

The bill was unusual in the fact that it would likely be treated as a conscience issue as it related to alcohol, McKelvie said.

With a conscience issue, political parties typically do not take a position on a bill, instead letting their own MPs decide how to vote.

"I know there will be some people in Labour, for example, who will support it, and it's likely there'll be one or two in my party who won't."

As for whether it would pass, McKelvie said that came down to how well he could whip MPs to vote for the bill.

"It was only drawn on Thursday, so there's a bit of work to do yet."

McKelvie said with his only bill in the ballot now drawn, he would do some thinking on what the next piece of legislation he would put in the ballot could be.

"I'm not one of those people who is a proactive lawmaker. I'd rather scrap bloody laws than make them, and I suppose in a way that is what this bill is doing."