KEY POINTS:
A Labour MP who wants to tighten liquor laws thinks Parliament will be forced to increase the drinking age if the latest reforms do not work.
The Government announced a review of drinking laws last year, on the eve of the second reading of Martin Gallagher's private member's
bill to raise the drinking age to 20.
It was effectively the death knell of the bill, which was defeated 72-49 on a conscience vote.
Yesterday, Mr Gallagher said he supported the main thrust of yesterday's reforms, but still personally supported raising the drinking age.
"It was clear the majority of Parliament wanted a compromise option and the review [last year] gave those MPs a way out. The announcement of the review had a very dramatic impact on the vote in Parliament. But if the current raft of measures don't work then public demand for raising the drinking age will be too loud to ignore and Parliament will have it back on the agenda."
Mr Gallagher still has one of two current private member's bills to restrict advertising of alcohol, but he said he would postpone its second reading until the Government's law changes about alcohol were final.
Mr Gallagher's bill aims to restrict television advertising to between 10pm and midnight while a Green Party bill seeks to ban all liquor advertising on television and radio.
Green Party health spokesperson Metiria Turei said Government's proposals to toughen up advertising regulations did not go far enough to warrant delaying her bill's first reading.
Ms Turei welcomed changes to the rules of supply of alcohol to minors, but said all alcohol advertising should be taken off air as was the case with tobacco.
The Government's reforms would extend the current self-regulatory system to cover all forms of advertising and promotion - to include in-store promotions, packaging and labelling, and to cover all media.
Law changes would also make the alcohol advertising standards enforceable by the Advertising Standards Authority and, as a last resort, the director-general of health.
United Future leader Peter Dunne said he favoured industry self-regulation of alcohol advertising and would be reluctant to see any direct Government control.
He welcomed other recommend-ations including an increased emphasis on parental responsibility, the stricter rules for enforcing the supply of alcohol to minors and the zero alcohol limit for drivers under 20.
