The buying age?
The term “drinking age” does annoy me. Because what you’re talking about is not the age at which it’s legal to drink alcohol, but the age at which it’s legal to buy alcohol. If a parent gives their seventeen-year-old child half a glass of wine to drink during dinner, no-one’s broken the law.
But “drinking age” is the best we have. Anyway, a while back I blogged about what each of the Green MPs thought about Matt Robson’s Private Member’s Bill to raise the drinking age to 20. The Drug Foundation has now launched a website promoting the Bill, and listing the voting intentions of all MPs.
The first reading on the Bill appears to be very close: 51 have come out in favour, 51 against. So, the Bill’s fate will turn on how the 18 remaining undecided MPs fall. All 18 are from Labour or National. The 12 Labour MPs still to decide are Georgina Beyer, Chris Carter, Helen Clark, Harry Duynhoven, Mark Gosche, Parekura Horomia, Trevor Mallard, Mahara Okeroa, Ross Robertson, Paul Swain, John Tamihere and Margaret Wilson. The 6 Nats still to decide are Gerry Brownlee, David Carter, Bill English, Murray McCully, Maurice Williamson, Pansy Wong.
How these MPs go is anyone’s guess, and analysing their voting records on previous conscience issues isn’t much help. These 18 voted in favour of Civil Unions 10-8 and prostitution law reform 11-7. This indicates a slight liberal bent, but perhaps not a decisive one.
So, all in all, the drinking age issue looks like it’ll divide Parliament down the middle. It could be that many MPs who don’t ultimately believe the drinking age should be raised to 20 are voting for the bill to select committee just because they think the issue should be debated with some public consultation. Watching how the numbers move around will be fascinating.
UPDATE: Nandor has just set up a poll on this issue running over on his site. Go over and have a vote…
May 26th, 2005 at 11:28 pm
Hey I’m 19 & they have to remember that I’ll be voting for them… or not! I will be 20 by the election, but many of my friends won’t be.
So I hear the main problem isn’t the 18-20 age group but those younger. Allowing 18 year olds to buy alcohol does place some still at school and able to then buy it for younger friends. The problem though is the socialisation from a young age that it is “so cool” to be drinking, even or especially as a young teenager. Alcohol is everywhere: sponsorship, tv, ads….. it’s a cultural thing to boast about getting drunk every weekend. The ads like ‘yea right’ and the Waikato beer brand billboards are becoming social in-jokes. It’s the culture that needs to change, not the legality. I also wonder whether the police should have more power to do - something - when they find drunken 13 year olds, especially in town where the situation can become rather dangerous.
May 28th, 2005 at 2:01 am
You need to work on Ian Ewen-Street and Mike Ward — Green MPs who will be voting in support of the bill. What are they thinking!?
May 28th, 2005 at 2:01 am
(By support, I mean support to go to select committee) — still need to ask why.