One of the highest-powered delegations to petition Parliament plans to speak out at the Beehive tomorrow in support of tougher drinking laws.
Three knights and two dames, including two former governors-general, will be joined by sporting greats, three archbishops and leaders of the Maori and Pacific communities in a call to raise the drinking age, raise alcohol prices and implement other recommendations from a recent Law Commission report.
They also want MPs to abandon their traditional "conscience vote" on liquor issues so that the Law Commission's proposals can be implemented as a consistent package.
Sir Paul Reeves, the former governor-general who convened the group, said the 14 members shared general public concerns about New Zealand's binge-drinking culture.
"Like many other people, I have been disturbed by the presence of alcohol in schools, school balls and other events, and it seems to me that this is simply symptomatic of the place that alcohol is given in our culture generally," he said.
Anglican Archbishop the Most Rev David Moxon said the Law Commission's report offered "a historic political opportunity to shape the access to, and the price of, alcohol".
Former All Black Va'aiga (Inga) Tuigamala, now a West Auckland funeral director, said a big part of his job was burying the victims of car crashes caused by drunk drivers.
"A couple of Christmases ago, I spent most of my Christmas having to pick up and look after young Pacific kids who got killed through speeding.
"That's the reality of my work," he said.
"We, unfortunately, have a record of a lot of domestic violence involving alcohol, a lot of deaths, and a lot of youngsters drinking."
The unusual initiative stems from an Anglican synod held in Gisborne last month which endorsed a "five-plus" package promoted by Alcohol Action NZ, including higher alcohol prices, raising the drinking age, making alcohol less accessible, reducing marketing and advertising and boosting drink-driving counter-measures, plus increased treatment opportunities for heavy drinkers.
The synod also unanimously supported a radical ban on all advertising of alcoholic drinks.
National Addiction Centre director Prof Doug Sellman, who spoke at the synod, said the idea of the leaders' group arose out of "a chat" he had with another synod speaker, Sir Paul Reeves.
He then approached the other members of the group on Sir Paul's behalf.
He said Dame Silvia Cartwright, another former governor-general, made final changes to the group's agreed statement.
He approached several sporting greats but not all agreed to join the group.
"What I found talking to a lot of them was just how much alcohol controls rugby and cricket in New Zealand," he said.
Speaking out:
Sir Paul Reeves, former governor-general (convener)
Dame Silvia Cartwright, former governor-general
Archbishop John Dew, Catholic Church
Prof Sir Mason Durie, Maori health expert
Georgina Earl (Evers-Swindell), rowing gold medallist
Jeanette Fitzsimons, former Green Party co-leader
Sir Lloyd Geering, theologian
Dame Te Muranga Batley Jackson, Manukau Urban Maori Authority founder
Michael Jones, ex-All Black
Dr Semisi Maiai, Pacific Medical Association co-founder
Caroline Meyer (Evers-Swindell), rowing gold medallist
Archbishop David Moxon, Anglican Church
Inga Tuigamala, ex-All BlackArchbishop Brown Turei, Anglican Church
