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Events and Attractions

Green Party Welcomes More Responsible Rugby World Cup Booze Bill

ACT Party leader David Seymour said the Green Party has gone from "party poopers" to "party facilitators" after reversing its opposition to his Rugby World Cup bill, according to Isaac Davison of the NEW ZEALAND HERALD. Seymour made a second attempt to table his bill, and "this time the Greens did not object." The legislation, which will allow all bars in New Zealand to stay open between 4am and 8am for World Cup matches, "will have its first reading" on Thursday. A Government bill, which was being drafted to replace Seymour's legislation, "will be shelved." Green Party health spokesperson Kevin Hague said that he had spoken to ACT and National overnight and "was now confident that improvements would be made to the legislation at the select committee stage." He said, "There's been a good faith process that leaves us confident that there will be a substantially better bill." The Greens "wanted the bill to only cover New Zealand games, and for there to be restrictions on which pubs could stay open." Seymour said only broadcasting All Black matches was "deeply unfair" and he wanted it to apply to all 48 games. But he "was willing to consider other Green proposals" including restrictions on bars which have previously breached their liquor licenses (NZ HERALD, 8/13). STUFF reported Seymour "tried to make some changes to the bill on Wednesday morning to appease the Greens but after failing to do so it was agreed changes would be made when it went to select committee." Labour "also called for legislation to include other national sporting events." Labour leader Andrew Little said, "Most New Zealanders are responsible drinkers and many of us like to celebrate sporting victories with a drink with mates at the pub, even if it is at 5am on occasion" (STUFF, 8/12). In an editorial, the DOMINION POST wrote Parliament "has turned its attention to the weighty question of whether people ought to be able to watch the All Blacks in a pub at an ungodly hour during the Rugby World Cup." Of course "they should if they so desire, which is to say, if they really do enjoy washing down their plate of eggs with a pint of beer in the company of their fellow bleary-eyed citizens at 5am." The question "has arisen because the current alcohol licensing laws stop pubs from opening, as a matter of course, between 4am and 8am." That "is how it should be; few New Zealanders are engaged in much civilised wine-sipping during those hours." But the cup, which starts next month, is an exception -- "the upside-down time zone difference makes it that rare event when someone might legitimately want some atmosphere and even a drink before daybreak" (DOMINION POST, 8/13).

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