Minister denies Alcohol Reform Bill deal

The Justice Minister denies she's done a deal with supermarkets over the Alcohol Reform Bill.

Judith Collins is describing the allegations by Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway as "silly".

He's suspicious a deal has been done that'll change the wording of the bill, which at the moment severely restricts where alcohol can be displayed and promoted in supermarkets.

Judith Collins doesn't want alcohol forced in the faces of shoppers when they don't want it, but a compromise has to be reached.

"We need to think about little Four Square stores in rural parts of the country who don't have great big areas that they can fence off. Does he really want me to go out there and destroy these little operators? And the answer is, hopefully, no."

Eighty five percent of New Zealanders drink alcohol - and for that reason the Justice Minister says it can't be hidden away in supermarkets.

Ms Collins is making it clear she doesn't want alcohol placed at the end of aisles, at the checkout or at the entrance, but says "this is not an illegal product, and I'm not about to ban it for the 85 percent of New Zealanders who drink alcohol.

"I'm sure even Mr Lees-Galloway would like the odd drink, I don't want to stop him from getting one, should he wish to."

The Alcohol Reform Bill is expected to come back to parliament in the next couple of months.

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