'School takes brave action against alcohol'- Hon Tariana Turia

Local MP and Maori Party Co-leader, Tariana Turia, is impressed by the strong stand taken by Russell School in Porirua, in holding a community hui on the re-licensing of the Fantame liquor shop opposite their school.

This liquor store is open from 9am through to midnight, seven days a week. It has colourful advertising on huge liquor billboards placed on the footpaths, the paths that children cross every day.

“This little primary school has taken brave action to protect the interests of all of the children in the Cannons Creek Community” said Mrs Turia. “These children deal with the fallout from the sale of alcohol from that outlet every day - an outlet which is a mere fifty paces from the front gate of their school.

“Children are under constant danger of broken glass in the school; they have come across half-full bottles of liquor in front of the school; the windows and doors of the school have been smashed in; and on occasion they have had to deal with intoxicated people walking onto the school playground”.

“I applaud the initiative of this school for speaking out on an issue which is clearly a social hazard for this community. On a day when we have seen the passing of historic legislation to remove tobacco displays from sight, I am even more determined that we must have comparable legislation to remove the brazen marketing of alcohol signage in our public spaces”.

"We must mobilise our communities against liquor outlets in our spaces where we live. Our tamariki need to have alcohol-free lives and not have to tolerate the immoral placement of outlets".