Further evidence that today’s party system doesn’t simply operate on a left-right continuum, but also on a liberal-conservative spectrum, is the issue of the drinking age. Roughly it seems that you have the socially liberal parties support a more open law on drinking (Greens and Act) and the socially conservative ones wanting to restrict drinking (NZ First, Maori Party, and Progressives), with the Labour, National and United Future parties split somewhat down the middle.
It’s interesting that the so-called Progressive Party have switched sides on this issue. When the drinking age was lowered it was done so by a private members bill introduced by then Alliance MP Matt Robson and backed by leader Jim Anderton. Now, both these Progressive politicians are sadly in favour of kicking 18 and 19 year olds out of the pub and bottle store.
Personally I’m totally opposed to increasing the drinking age, and think there should be as few such state interventions into people’s personal behaviour as possible – hence this is partly why this blog is goes under the title ‘liberation’ and thus has a good dose of libertarianism.
Meanwhile in the UK, Neil Davenport, writes on the Spiked website against the British Labour Government's £4m campaign against youth binge-drinking. He suggests, correctly I think - that New Labour are desperate to connect with, and control, young people.
