Press Release Stephen Berry Liquor Laws

Berry Says Polling On Drinking Age Irrelevant

Stephen Berry has labelled a Herald-Digipoll Survey on opinions regarding increasing the alcohol purchase age irrelevant saying, “It doesn’t matter if 99% of people want the age increased, a majority has no right to control the lives of individual adults in this manner.” Berry is standing as an Independent candidate in Tamaki this election.

“The New Zealand Herald has a long history of running wowser campaigns to convince Government that we need more laws restricting the ability of adult individuals to make their own decisions about what they put into their bodies. They succeeded with BZP, they’re making progress with synthetic cannabis and they’re taking a huge crack at alcohol.”

Berry believes individuals are the only legitimate owners of their lives and should be able to live their lives in whatever manner they see fit on the condition they take responsibility for their own actions and do not initiate force against other people. “A majority should never have the power to control individuals or businesses that do not violate the rights of others. The power of Government should be constitutionally restricted to ensure democracy can never be used in such a manner.”

When Mr. Berry is asked what should be done about the issues surrounding alcohol he says, “The only solution is a cultural change. It needs to happen in the minds of individuals. The culture in New Zealand needs to change to a culture of personal responsibility, instead of one where the state picks up the pieces. Persons who disapprove of another’s behaviour are free to use persuasion and social sanction, but if the behaviour does not violate the rights of others then nobody has the right to invoke the power of the state.”

“I do not believe the Government should be taking any action on alcohol as long as it is not being supplied to persons below 18 years of age. No amount of regulation will have any effect on individual behaviours. If people’s actions while under the influence violate other people’s rights then those actions should be dealt with by the law, not alcohol itself.”

If elected to Parliament, Stephen Berry will further liberalise alcohol laws. He will abolish the impending restriction on the alcohol content of RTD’s and remove the ability of community collectives to restrict the presence of liquor stores. Berry also supports the abolition of excise tax in conjunction with the eventual privatisation of the health system. “Adults must take responsibility for their own lives without everyone else being forced by law and taxation to do it for them.”

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