World Cup boozing: Bill fast-tracked, will be passed tonight

There will be conditions to bars extending hours to show RWC games. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A law allowing all bars, pubs and licensed clubs to open and televise any of the 2015 Rugby World Cup games has been fast-tracked through Parliament and will be passed tonight.

But the Green Party claimed that it is an undemocratic and rides roughshod over local licensing decisions.

There will be conditions to bars extending hours to show RWC games:

• There must be no outdoor speakers; no discarding of empty bottles and no use of outdoor courtyard areas.
• The police have to be given seven days' notice.
• Premises which have had their licenses varied or suspended in the previous 12 months will not be able to extend their hours to show Rugby World Cup games.

And if the police lodge an application to suspend or cancel a license during the RWC period, the premise concerned will no longer be able to show games during extended periods.

Act, National, New Zealand First and most of Labour support the bill. About half a dozen Labour MPs are expected to vote against it with all the Greens.

The bill was in the name of Act leader and Epsom MP David Seymour.

"This is a victory for the presumption that New Zealanders are free to do as they please unless they give justifications for their freedoms being restricted," he said.

"This is not supposed to where you are presumed un-free unless you can justify yourself to the busy-bodies."

Mr Seymour promoted the bill after he was advised some licenses premises were having difficulty getting special licenses under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

The Green Party originally blocked him from progressing the bill, but changed their minds the next game after being accused of "wowsers" and "party poopers."

But MP Kevin Hague said the party decided to support the bill to select committee on the understanding National and Act would be prepared to make changes to reduce potential harm caused by drinking to all hours of the morning.

The party had wanted bars nears schools and kindergartens opened and had wanted it to apply only to All Blacks games.

He the bill amounted to a "rear-guard action" against the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

He referred to a "loss of democracy" associated with bill because sbumitters on the bill had not been able to make oral submissions and because it was having a truncated passage through the House, without a committee of the whole House stage.

"This approach where Parliament rides in over the top of existing local government decision-making processes effectively rides roughshod over those processes."

Mr Hague's colleague Jan Logie said bars could have been opened to watch the games but without alcohol being sold.

National Minister Nick Smith wondered why the Greens did not want any risk when it came to alcohol but supported liberalization of cannabis. He said the Greens made themselves look out of touch with New Zealanders who just wanted to enjoy themselves when they watched rugby.

The Rugby World Cup begins in Britain on September 19 and the final is on November 1.