We say no A community fights to keep cheap liquor away from local school

Article submitted to the Socialist Aotearoa Blog but not published.

With over 100 liquor outlets in the Mangere Otahuhu area alone it is no surprise that members of the Mangere community were outraged that a liquor licence was granted to a premises opposite a local school. The community responded with a 200 strong demonstration outside Southern Cross campus. Community leaders emphasised that there was very little public consultation by the licensing authorities. Liquor outlets are far more prevalent in working class areas such as Mangere and Otahuhu while being less prominent in more affluent areas where those responsible for issuing liquor licences usually live. As such very little thought is given to the impact that cheap easily accessible liquor has on working class communities where liquor in some places is sold alongside basic commodities such as bread and milk.

The negative impact of having a Liquor outlet opposite a school is twofold first of all students are exposed to liquor advertising as the pass the outlet and secondly older students are likely to skip school and acquire Liquor directly or indirectly (south Auckland liquor outlets are notorious for selling to under-age customers.)

The major issue here is local democracy community members need to have the power to stop commercial endeavours can have a negative impact on the well-being of community members such decisions must be in the hands of those who will be exposed to the negative effects of increased access to liquor and should not be left in the hands of a small elite from outside the community.

Why I'm not voting for Goff

Phil Goff is a Red Tory with more asset sales under his belt than the Bolger and Key governments combined. he supports Imperialist "free" trade deals and Imperialist slaughter in the middle east. he is responsible for the crippling financial burden that keeps many working class people of my generation from accessing quality tertiary education and adequate accommodation. he owns a high value rural property and public admitted during the 2011 election that he benefited greatly from the 2010 tax cuts. as a Mount Roskill voter I can't in good conscience vote for such person as I feel the very act of voting for Goff would be an insult to all the people who have been negativity effected by policies introduced to Aotearoa by the right wing of the labour party I am aware that first past the post politics that still exists within the electorates requires you to vote for the major party closest to your own (in terms of policy) in order to stop the other major party from wining the electorate but I simply feel that voting for any right wing candidate regardless of political party is an act of betrayal. Instead I will vote for the most Left Wing candidate who stands for the Electorate because I that two party electorate politics is a distraction from the party vote that allows for diversity within parliament and renders the electorate contests as a pointless distraction that is essentially a relic of the dark age parliaments of England. It is my belief that John Minto of the Mana movement is the only suitable left wing candidate and I will vote for him regardless of the consequences to Phil Goffs campaign because a right wing candidate should be opposed by the left regardless of party.

Updated 8/6/14
Banks may have resigned but National and Act should never be allowed to forget that they allowed this crook into their ranks.
lets bring down the government and consign the Act party to the pages of history.

John Banks has been found guilty of electoral fraud but remains a siting MP for the Act party a group that is known for a tough anti crime stance perhaps it's time they amended their key slogan here is a suggestion.