August 31, 2010 10:00am by David Farrar

Update on purchase age support

The Green Party caucus last week decided to have a conscience vote on the alcohol purchasing age and their positions are not all undecided as reported yesterday in a poll of MPs.

Seven of the nine MPs support the purchasing age being 18 for on- and off-licensed premises.

They are Metiria Turei, Russel Norman, Keith Locke, Kevin Hague, Catherine Delahunty, David Clendon and Gareth Hughes.

Yay. Go the Greens!

Labour MPs Jacinda Ardern and Charles Chauvel support the age of 18 for both.

Good. I was surprised when yesterday it was reported Labour’s Youth Affairs Spokesperson was effectively favouring 19 year olds being banned from being able to buy a bottle of wine, but good to see Jacinda (and Charles) are in fact supporting 18.

This now means twice as many MPs are supporting 18 over 20 – 27 MPs to 14 MPs. The split age still has the most support with 37 MPs leaning that way.