Alcohol action exposed

Some lobby groups are issue driven, and legitimately criticise the Government for things they disagree with. There are other groups that become so partisan than no matter what, they just attack the Government.

Alcohol Action has just shown today that it is now obsessed with attacking the Government, regardless of the situation.

They put out two press releases today.  The first was at 11.01 am:

Government in urgency, set to bury their weak Alcohol NON-Reform Bill by the end of the week

 Is the Government trying to bury its impotent response to New Zealand’s heavy drinking culture by quickly and quietly passing the Alcohol Reform Bill under cover of the Rugby World Cup?

 “It looks as if the Government wants the Alcohol Reform Bill done and dusted by Friday,” says Alcohol Action spokesperson Prof Doug Sellman.

So in this press release, Alcohol Action attacks the Government for trying to pass the alcohol reform bill this week. They incidentally got their facts wrong – all the Government has done is schedule the second reading for today – there is no urgency planned for this week for the bill.

Then a second press release at 12.46 pm:

Government working hard, but not to pass their weak Alcohol NON-Reform Bill by the end of the week, or by the end of the year …

“The situation is worse than we originally thought and it now looks as if the Government will leave the Alcohol Reform Bill still hanging at the end of this current Parliament,” says Alcohol Action spokesperson Prof Doug Sellman.

So now in this press release, they attack the Government for not getting the law rammed through in the dying stages of Parliament.

They stand exposed as a lobby group who will attack the Government, no matter what the Government does. So why should they be listened to, when the Government knows that nothing they do will please them.