Trust Horizon (Trust Variation) Bill

Thank you very much, Mr Chair. Firstly, I just want to echo what the member in charge has just said about the legislation. When we talk about alcohol in this place, it is a really challenging topic for a lot of people to discuss and it’s important that when we do it, we do it politely, but we also do it with the intention of the legislation.

There are a number of amendments that are on the Table that I want to talk through tonight; a couple in the name of my colleague Cameron Luxton, and a couple from New Zealand First—Jamie Arbuckle and Andy Foster. I am keen to get an understanding from, firstly, the member in charge of the bill, the Hon Kieran McAnulty, around his thoughts in regard to the four amendments that sit in front of us.

I want to start with Cameron Luxton’s first Amendment Paper 532. It talks about trading hours on Anzac Day, Good Friday, and Easter Sundays, but it talks about on-licences, because when the legislation was first brought to the House, it was inclusive of both on-licences and off-licences. This was a change made by the Justice Committee. The views that we heard on the Justice Committee were: what is the intention behind the legislation? What’s the problem we’re trying to fix here? Is it the anomaly of the experiences that our RSAs across New Zealand go through every year on Anzac Day? Is it the situation of, what is a fulsome meal on Good Friday or Easter Sunday? I can’t remember the exact phrase they used there, but the—“substantial meal”. Is that what we’re trying to remedy here, or are we trying to remedy that supermarkets can open and sell booze on Easter Sunday, for example?

Cameron Luxton’s Amendment Paper 532 would allow on-licences to be able to sell alcohol through those times. I’m keen, firstly, to get an understanding from the member around whether he would support that amendment or not. I certainly hold a personal view, and I’ll share it now, while I’m on my feet. We made this fix on the Justice Committee for this exact reason: to remove on-licences and to solely focus on the off-licences and the clear anomaly we have across New Zealand around our bars, our restaurants, and our cafes, and things like that. I think I might it have the other way—you know what I’m meaning. I have it the other way around. So I’m keen to understand from the member in charge around his thoughts on that amendment and whether it’s something he would support or not, and whether we can then take the debate forward from there.