Drinking stays at 18: how each MP voted

The final round vote last night saw 68 MPs vote to keep the alcohol purchasing age at 18, and 53 to raise it to 20.

ACT leader John Banks voted for 18, avoiding a showdown with his party's youth wing, ACT on Campus.

Prime Minister John Key, whom like Mr Banks voted for a split age in the first round, also backed keeping the age at 18 in the second round of the knockout vote.

Debate on other elements of the Alcohol Reform Bill, including narrowed opening hours (7am-11pm for off-licences and 8am-4am for on-licences), will resume when Parliament returns from next week's recess.

Binge culture - among MPs
During last evening's debate, Green MP Gareth Hughes argued that responsible drinking was not necessarily related to age.

"I've even seen MPs binge drinking and intoxicated across the road," Mr Hughes said. 

A talking to
After the vote, ACT on Campus president Hayden Fitzgerald told NBR, "We're unhappy that John decided to vote for the split initially but he made the right choice in the second vote. We will sit down with him and discuss his position on this issue again in the future. "

Before the vote, the youth wing threatened to withdraw its support for Mr Banks supported a split age or 20.

How MPs voted:

For keeping the age 18

Jacinda Ardern (L)
Shane Ardern (N)
John Banks (A)
Maggie Barry (N)
David Bennett (N)
Paula Bennett (N)
Steffan Browning (G)
Gerry Brownlee (N)
David Carter (N)
Charles Chauvel (L)
David Clendon (G)
David Cunliffe (L)
Clare Curran (L)
Lianne Dalziel (L)
Jacqui Dean (N)
Catherine Delahunty (G)
Peter Dunne (UF)
Ruth Dyson (L)
Bill English (N)
Kris Faafoi (L)
Darien Fenton (L)
Christopher Finlayson (N)
Julie Anne Genter (G)
Paul Goldsmith (N)
Tim Groser (N)
Nathan Guy (N)
Kevin Hague (L)
Tau Henare (N)
Chris Hipkins (L)
Parekura Horomia (L)
Gareth Hughes (G)
Raymond Huo (L)
Paul Hutchison (N)
Shane Jones (L)
Steven Joyce (N)
Nikki Kaye (N)
John Key (N)
Colin King (N)
Melissa Lee (N)
Iain Lees-Galloway (L)
Jan Logie (G)
Moana Mackey (L)
Trevor Mallard (L)
Mojo Mathers (G)
Murray McCully (N)
Ian McKelvie (N)
Russel Norman (G)
Simon O'Connor (N)
David Parker (L)
Rajan Prasad (L)
Grant Robertson (L)
Denise Roche (G)
Jami-Lee Ross (N)
Eugenie Sage (G)
David Shearer (L)
Lockwood Smith (N)
Nick Smith (N)
Rino Tirikatene (L)
Lindsay Tisch (N)
Metiria Turei (G)
Tariana Turia (MP)
Phil Twyford (L)
Ncky Wagner (N)
Holly Walker (G)
Kate Wilkinson (N)
Maurice Williamson (N)
Michael Woodhouse (N)
Megan Woods (L)
 

For raising the age to 20:

Amy Adams (N)
Chris Auchinvole (N)
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (N)
Jackie Blue (N)
Chester Borrows (N)
Steffan Browning (G)
Simon Bridges (N)
Cam Calder (N)
David Clark (L)
Jonathan Coleman (N)
Judith Collins (N)
Clayton Cosgrove (L)
Te Ururoa Flavell (MP)
Craig Foss (N)
Phil Goff (L)
Jo Goodhew (N)
Kennedy Graham (G)
Hone Harawira (M)
John Hayes (N)
Phil Heatley (N)
Brendan Horan (NZF)
Annette King (L)
Andrew Little (L)
Asenati Lole-Taylor (NZF)
Sam Lotu-Iiga (N)
Tim Macindoe (N)
Nanaia Mahuta (L)
Tracey Martin (NZF)
Todd McClay (N)
Mark Mitchell (N)
Sue Moroney (L)
Alfred Ngaro (N)
Damien O'Connor (L)
Denis O'Rourke (NZF)
Hekia Parata (N)
Winston Peters (NZF)
Richard Prosser (NZF)
Ross Robertson (L)
Eric Roy (N)
Tony Ryall (N)
Mike Sabin  (N)
Katrina Shanks (N)
Pita Sharples (MP)
Scott Simpson (N)
Su'a Willaim Sio (L)
Barbara Stewart (NZF)
Maryan Street (L)
Anne Tolley (N)
Chris Tremain (N)
Louise Upston (N)
Louisa Wall (L)
Jian Yang (N)
Jonathan Young (N)

------------------------------------------

UPDATE 6pm yesterday: A split drinking age was the least-supported option in a vote just completed in Parliament.

But neither keeping the age at 18 nor raising it to 20 gained a clear majority in the three-option knockout vote.

MPs will vote on the two remaining alternatives later tonight.

In the first round of voting:

• 50 MPs voted to keep the drinking age at 18
• 38 voted to raise it to 20
• 33, including Prime Minister John Key and ACT leader John Banks, voted to split the age (18 for bars, 20 for off-license)

------------------------------------------

Drinking age vote tonight: Banks rebuffs ACT on Campus ultimatum

11am: ACT's youth wing, which delivered high-profile logistical support as John Banks campaigned for Epsom, has broken with its leader over the drinking age.

Asked if was true ACT on Campus would refuse to campaign for Mr Banks unless he voted to keep the drinking age at 18, president Hayden Fitzgerald told NBR, Yes that is correct. If John chooses to vote in favour of a split age tonight then we will reconsider our support for him."

Mr Banks is so far unmoved by the threat. His press secretary told NBR at midday "He will vote split."

What's being voted on tonight
MPs will tonight vote whether to keep the drinking age at 18, split it (18 for pubs, 20 for off-license) or raise it to 20 as the government's Alcohol Reform Bill returns to Parliament.

A "knock out" vote will see MPs vote on all three options in a conscience vote. If none gains majority support, the least-supported option will drop off and MPs vote on the remaining two.

If passed, the legislation will also introduce new national maximum trading hours of 7am-11pm for off-licences and 8am-4am for on-licences.

Punishing
Earlier, Mr Fitzgerald said in a statement, “Mr Banks’s choice to vote in favour of punishing responsible 18 and 19 year olds is short sighted and goes against the ACT Party principles of choice and personal responsibility.

“We invite John to publicly share his explanation on how tinkering with the alcohol purchase age will help solve problem drinking in New Zealand and why he thinks that voting, fighting, working young adults should have their legal rights restricted.

“ACT on Campus does not believe that prohibiting 19 year olds, living away from home for a couple of years, buying a bottle of wine will do anything to address New Zealand’s drinking problem.

“Increasing the purchase age will increase the level of disrespect toward the law by young people as their freedoms and responsibilities are taken away.

“The contradiction of being able to enlist in the army, vote, enter a legally binding contract and be elected to Council or Parliament, but not having the lawful freedom to drink a glass of wine at home will not be lost on young adults. Nor should it be forgotten. If the law offers these choices and responsibilities to those young adults, then they should rightfully have the same when it comes to alcohol."