1972: The West Auckland Booze Monopoly Cartel

November 9, 2018

By AHNZ

Sale of Alcohol is Monopolised by a Cartel

In West Auckland there remains one of the last New Zealand Liquor Trusts. All sale of alcohol is monopolised by a cartel which owns hotels, bars, and outlet stores. They take their cut but need to justify it somehow so they put some of their ill-gotten gains into ‘community support’.

Here’s some targeted marketing showing Youtube knows I’m viewing from West Auckland so cleverly advertises to match!

The point is to see lots of handicapped people being made happy and to associate that with the sanction of localised robbery.

A few years back the Trust bought everyone in West Auckland a cheap crappy little Chinese radio. Another time, smoke alarms. Recently, a ‘free’ ($500,000) tool kit which I have not inspected.

Likewise, this $50,000 grant for music therapy is pure PR for the Trusts who don’t really give a damn about the cause. Actually, I’m not sure that this American woman running music therapy gives a damn about her cause either or if it’s some kind of con. Doubtless there is no evidence to show this form of therapy has any measurable outcomes for the client. But, the point is to see lots of handicapped people being made happy and to associate that with the sanction of localised robbery.

Their biggest advertising spend, I assume, is the $5 million paid for naming rights to the local Trusts Stadium. (It’s a huge building that reminds me of the deflector array of the starship USS Enterprise.) According to their own books, the Cartel holds assets to the value of $98 million as of about a year ago.

Fearful Times Capitalised Upon by Politicians

The West Auckland booze monopoly cartel was established in 1972, voted in the previous year. With crime and anti-social behaviour gradual and insistently growing, it was the twilight of the good old days. I think people were scared and welcomed this tightening of the statist grip. Norman Kirk swept into power as Prime Minister later that same year.

Echoing back to 2017 again…this publicity video probably cost Trusts just as much to make as the $50,000 raison d’être itself!

Update: A West Auckland Licensing Trusts Action Group has started up this year with a view to testing the public will on the Trust by referendum.

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Image ref. Smoke detector, Swanson Rd Hospice Shop; AHNZ 2017

Image ref. Trusts ‘Monopoly’; From Trusts Actions Group’s site

Image ref. Map of Cartel’s territory; Google Maps

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