Friday 17th June, 2011

“The government looks poised to bury ALAC” said Professor Doug Sellman, medical spokesperson for Alcohol Action NZ, today.

On the 31st May, Bill English and Tony Ryall, in their roles of Deputy PM and State Services Minister respectively, announced a major review of the number of government agencies. Amongst the changes proposed was a new health promotion agency “to take over the over the relevant functions of the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC), the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) and the Ministry of Health.” The Cabinet is now on the brink of making decisions.

“If the amalgamation comes about, then ALAC will likely lose its independence, probably lose its small dedicated alcohol budget, and basically disappear from sight” said Professor Doug Sellman, medical spokesperson for Alcohol Action NZ.

“Burying ALAC at this time would be consistent with the government’s lack of any real commitment to changing the heavy drinking culture. While the future of ALAC hangs in the balance, the Alcohol Reform Bill remains stalled in Select Committee. The Bill, as it stands, will do next to nothing to change New Zealand’s damaging drinking culture, and is basically another friendly wink to the alcohol industry”.

ALAC was set up as a new Crown entity by an Act of Parliament in 1976. It is funded by a very small levy on alcohol, which provides ALAC about $12 million each year to function as a voice of moderation in the use of alcohol in New Zealand.

“The key thing is that ALAC is an autonomous Crown entity and therefore able to make independent public comments about alcohol that are not necessarily in line with current government policy”, said Sellman.

"Although we don't think ALAC has been assertive enough in its comments about alcohol law reform culminating in the weak Alcohol Reform Bill, nevertheless ALAC has taken some risks".

“Many other countries view ALAC as an international model of how to structure an entity which is close to Government while flexible enough to get involved in a whole range of social and legislative alcohol situations and able to take scientifically-backed positions on alcohol at times that are contrary to government policy of the day”.

“$12 million is chicken feed in the wider governmental budget. The good that ALAC has been able to do for the country with such a small resource far outweighs any efficiency gains that Treasury might be imagining.”

ENDS

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