April 1, 2026 • 6 mins
Nick is joined by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty, who is fronting the new bill that will scrap the Easter alcohol rules.
Bars & restaurants (on-licence venues) will be able to sell alcohol normally on Good Friday & Easter Sunday.
No more needing to buy a “substantial meal” just to get a drink.
McAnulty shares why the rule change is necessary, saying it's silly and will make life easier for hospo visitors and workers.
Note: Since the interview this morning the bill has been signed off by the Governor General and will be active for Easter Weekend
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SIB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Now, let's celebrate something. I like celebrating something. I've been
waiting for this. I've been fighting for this for years
and years. I've been fighting for it for twenty years,
and then long comes Karen mcinnulty and he makes my
dream of reality.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Good morning, Karen, wonding mate, how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
I'm good. Congratulations and thank you.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Oh thanks very much.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Yeah, I'm very pleased that I know how much this
will help hospitality businesses and also the people that work
in hospitality because for decades we've put up with this outdated,
cumbersome law that has actually only brought confusion and disruption
to people. And we've got away from a silly rule
(00:56):
that forced people to have to buy food in order
to buy a drink.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
And this whole fallacy and stupidity that people talk about, Oh,
you only have to buy a bowl of fries. That
was not the case. And many of licensed premises have
been prosecuted on the fact that they didn't provide meat
and two veg.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Well, look, I recognize that there are many people out
there that are concerned about increased access to alcohol and
many people that are concerned about these special days, et cetera.
And I respect both those views. But let's break this down.
The hospitality providers were required to ensure that punters bought
(01:44):
a substantial meal on Good Friday and Sundays. They want
to have a drink, but substantial meal was never defined,
so people that were selling a drink, we had to
lick their finger and put it into the wind is
to try and figure out how to comply with the law.
So some people might think, well, a bowl of wedges
could be a substantial meal, and then our where they
(02:06):
find out it's not. Is a pizza, we don't know,
but to add even more silliness to it. Yeah, okay,
they buy a meal, but they weren't legally required to
eat it. Yeah, and by the way, on the table
and by the way, as an operator of these businesses,
that's what a lot of people did because you know,
once you finished your meal, you had to leave. So
(02:28):
they used to leave their meal sitting there, have five
beers and then walk out.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
And at a time, you know, hospitalities had a tough
run for a number of years. Now we're finally starting
to get terrorists coming back to the country they were
before this law change, they would have gone into pubs
just wanting to buy a drink. They were told no,
you have to buy a roast, and they're like, but
I don't want to roast.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I want to find a beer. You know, it was
just it was silly.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
And so I'm so pleased that the law has got
through the law change, as I understand that her Excellency
the Governor I was lined up to sign it into
law today. It will therefore be in place ready for
good Friday tomorrow. And a crucial point nick that it
only impacts those businesses that were already open and those
(03:20):
workers that were already working.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
It makes their lives a lot easier.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
It doesn't mean that off licensed bottle stores are going
to be opening up. It's just simply a simple clarification
to make those businesses that were already operating able to
operate under normal conditions.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And can I tell you another fact that you probably
know because you're a lot smarter than me, but you'll
probably know that staffs to line up to work on
these days. You know all the talk that oh that
you're making people work, this is you know, a day
in low time and a half and a day in
lou So this is you know, you know, the bottom
run workers getting seventy five bucks an hour. You know,
(03:59):
so they wanted They lined up for the work because
they wanted it. So this actually gives them more work.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
But it's also the The point that I kept hearing
from those that work in hospitality was that they didn't
have to act like police.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
They could go back.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Going about their work that they are trained for, that
they are experienced there, that they can serve drinks under
the normal rules, which is far more controlled than a
bottle shop.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
You know, you know yourself, you can't serve.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Alcohol to people that are intoxicated. You do monitor the
amount that they are drinking, but it means that they
don't get distracted from that important work by monitoring what
they're eating or what they've ordered and whether it's a
substantial meal and whether that's clear or not, et cetera,
et cetera.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Thank you, Thank you. Can you just tell me because
we talked about it earlier in the show and I
just could get your thoughts on it. If the Governor
General doesn't sign off on it today for some reason,
she's too tied up. Do you reckon. The police will
go around and police it tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
I guess that's a matter for them, and they are
required to police the law as it currently stands. There's
no indication that there has been a hold up, and
any time will tell. But every measure is that every indication,
sorry is that the Governor General has lined up to
sign it into law today and I know it will
be a welcome change. And the other addition to this
(05:24):
is that for years RSAs, particularly in smaller communities, open
their doors for the community after an ANZAC service to
come back and have refreshments.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Had to apply for a special license.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
If veterans are coming back with their family because they
are not members of the RSA, they had to have
a special license to serve them.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
We've got rid of that.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
There's an exemption for ANZAC morning, which means that they
don't have to jump through hoops to invite the community
back to the RSA.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
I just thought that made absolute sense.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
And after a dawn service they line up wanting to
have a little double and good on them and they
deserve it, and good.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
On you, absolutely they deserve it.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Good on you for pushing have you weeked out where
you're going to have your first legal drink without a
bell on Sunday Friday tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I'm actually here tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
My family and I have decided we're going to walk
down the road is a relatively newly opened beer garden
and hopefully it's a lovely day usually is, and wipe
it up and we'll sit down and enjoy a beer.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Well I wish I was anywhere, dear, because I would
walk in and put my card over and buy that
beer for you. Thank you, well done.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SIB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Now, let's celebrate something. I like celebrating something. I've been
waiting for this. I've been fighting for this for years
and years. I've been fighting for it for twenty years,
and then long comes Karen mcinnulty and he makes my
dream of reality.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Good morning, Karen, wonding mate, how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
I'm good. Congratulations and thank you.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Oh thanks very much.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Yeah, I'm very pleased that I know how much this
will help hospitality businesses and also the people that work
in hospitality because for decades we've put up with this outdated,
cumbersome law that has actually only brought confusion and disruption
to people. And we've got away from a silly rule
(00:56):
that forced people to have to buy food in order
to buy a drink.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
And this whole fallacy and stupidity that people talk about, Oh,
you only have to buy a bowl of fries. That
was not the case. And many of licensed premises have
been prosecuted on the fact that they didn't provide meat
and two veg.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Well, look, I recognize that there are many people out
there that are concerned about increased access to alcohol and
many people that are concerned about these special days, et cetera.
And I respect both those views. But let's break this down.
The hospitality providers were required to ensure that punters bought
(01:44):
a substantial meal on Good Friday and Sundays. They want
to have a drink, but substantial meal was never defined,
so people that were selling a drink, we had to
lick their finger and put it into the wind is
to try and figure out how to comply with the law.
So some people might think, well, a bowl of wedges
could be a substantial meal, and then our where they
(02:06):
find out it's not. Is a pizza, we don't know,
but to add even more silliness to it. Yeah, okay,
they buy a meal, but they weren't legally required to
eat it. Yeah, and by the way, on the table
and by the way, as an operator of these businesses,
that's what a lot of people did because you know,
once you finished your meal, you had to leave. So
(02:28):
they used to leave their meal sitting there, have five
beers and then walk out.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
And at a time, you know, hospitalities had a tough
run for a number of years. Now we're finally starting
to get terrorists coming back to the country they were
before this law change, they would have gone into pubs
just wanting to buy a drink. They were told no,
you have to buy a roast, and they're like, but
I don't want to roast.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I want to find a beer. You know, it was
just it was silly.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
And so I'm so pleased that the law has got
through the law change, as I understand that her Excellency
the Governor I was lined up to sign it into
law today. It will therefore be in place ready for
good Friday tomorrow. And a crucial point nick that it
only impacts those businesses that were already open and those
(03:20):
workers that were already working.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
It makes their lives a lot easier.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
It doesn't mean that off licensed bottle stores are going
to be opening up. It's just simply a simple clarification
to make those businesses that were already operating able to
operate under normal conditions.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And can I tell you another fact that you probably
know because you're a lot smarter than me, but you'll
probably know that staffs to line up to work on
these days. You know all the talk that oh that
you're making people work, this is you know, a day
in low time and a half and a day in
lou So this is you know, you know, the bottom
run workers getting seventy five bucks an hour. You know,
(03:59):
so they wanted They lined up for the work because
they wanted it. So this actually gives them more work.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
But it's also the The point that I kept hearing
from those that work in hospitality was that they didn't
have to act like police.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
They could go back.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Going about their work that they are trained for, that
they are experienced there, that they can serve drinks under
the normal rules, which is far more controlled than a
bottle shop.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
You know, you know yourself, you can't serve.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Alcohol to people that are intoxicated. You do monitor the
amount that they are drinking, but it means that they
don't get distracted from that important work by monitoring what
they're eating or what they've ordered and whether it's a
substantial meal and whether that's clear or not, et cetera,
et cetera.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Thank you, Thank you. Can you just tell me because
we talked about it earlier in the show and I
just could get your thoughts on it. If the Governor
General doesn't sign off on it today for some reason,
she's too tied up. Do you reckon. The police will
go around and police it tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
I guess that's a matter for them, and they are
required to police the law as it currently stands. There's
no indication that there has been a hold up, and
any time will tell. But every measure is that every indication,
sorry is that the Governor General has lined up to
sign it into law today and I know it will
be a welcome change. And the other addition to this
(05:24):
is that for years RSAs, particularly in smaller communities, open
their doors for the community after an ANZAC service to
come back and have refreshments.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Had to apply for a special license.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
If veterans are coming back with their family because they
are not members of the RSA, they had to have
a special license to serve them.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
We've got rid of that.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
There's an exemption for ANZAC morning, which means that they
don't have to jump through hoops to invite the community
back to the RSA.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
I just thought that made absolute sense.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
And after a dawn service they line up wanting to
have a little double and good on them and they
deserve it, and good.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
On you, absolutely they deserve it.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Good on you for pushing have you weeked out where
you're going to have your first legal drink without a
bell on Sunday Friday tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
I'm actually here tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
My family and I have decided we're going to walk
down the road is a relatively newly opened beer garden
and hopefully it's a lovely day usually is, and wipe
it up and we'll sit down and enjoy a beer.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Well I wish I was anywhere, dear, because I would
walk in and put my card over and buy that
beer for you. Thank you, well done.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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