Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, August 24th, 2010 - 47 comments
The government’s alcohol reforms are so typical of this government: criminalise someone to be seen to be doing something, while ignoring the root causes of the problem. This is a government that would rather make a criminal of a good parent who lets their son’s mate have a beer at a BBQ than make it harder for booze barons to hook kids into drinking.
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, July 1st, 2010 - 101 comments
I was neutral in the debate on lowering the drinking age back in 1999. There were arguments on both sides. But ten years later it is clear that the experiment has failed. There have been several recent calls to raise the drinking age and take other effective action to restrict the damage that alcohol causes in NZ. Come on Key – show some leadership.
Written By: - Date published: 1:53 pm, May 16th, 2010 - 54 comments
Tau Henare is opposing Labour’s suggested policy of taking GST off fruit and vegetables saying “If they can’t afford to buy a lettuce or a tomato then they should give up the drink and the smokes,” and “It’s a well-known fact that poor people, if they don’t have enough money, will buy smokes and not bread.” Really? Well, it took two minutes checking on the Stats’ website to prove him wrong.
Written By: - Date published: 5:54 pm, April 29th, 2010 - 11 comments
Here’s a great interview by RNZ’s Kathryn Ryan with Professor Doug Sellman, Director of the National Addiction Centre, on Government’s bizarre inconsistency in raising the price of fags to discourage consumption while not raising the price of alcohol - despite its alleged interest in addressing alcohol abuse. Sellman also has some interesting things to say about …
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, April 28th, 2010 - 36 comments
How does the government decide which are good drugs and which are bad?
And how much does it have to do with big money?
Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, March 30th, 2010 - 17 comments
The latest piece from the ever excellent Gordon Campbell has a go at the beat up of North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams. Towards the end he raises some interesting points about Auckland’s new boss.
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