A sensible dropping

Very pleased to read in the Herald:

Liquor law changes which would have closed Auckland suburban bars before midnight will be scrapped after receiving a hostile reception from the hospitality industry.

Auckland City mayor John Banks and Aaron Bhatnagar, the councillor steering the changes through the council, decided at the weekend to abandon the changes. …

Realising something isn’t going to fly is one of the skills of politics. Of course some still want it:

City Vision leader Richard Northey said that rather than panic, Mr Banks and Mr Bhatnagar should have continued the process, listened to all sides of the argument and addressed issues with widespread support, such as the opening hours and location of off-licence alcohol outlets.

Alcohol Advisory Council chief executive Gerard Vaughan was surprised the policy was being dumped in the middle of public consultation, which was to run until October 7.

“We know that reducing hours is an effective means of reducing harm from alcohol,” he said.

Yes indeed. So let’s go back to the six pm closing shall we? But why stop there? If we force bars to only open between 2 pm and 4 pm that will reduce harm even further!

Mr Banks, who wants to be the first mayor of the Super City next year, said he had no doubt the liquor issue would have damaged a key constituency – the hospitality industry – with which he had a long association.

He said yesterday that the first lesson of politics was to bail out when caught out.

The Mayor, who last month voted for the draft liquor law changes, said he had never seen such a violent reaction to a policy issue “and I have put an end to it”.

Listening to the people!

As I blogged a few days ago, I think it is an issue best left to the new local boards anyway.