> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://goodoil.news/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# What the Actual?
- URL: https://goodoil.news/what-the-actual/
- Published: 2025-05-04T21:00:07.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-04T21:00:07.000Z
- Description: My question is why? Why is ACT wasting time on idiocy like this?
- Author: Kevin
- Tags: NZ Politics

I’m just going to file this under “What the actual?” 

> *The government is undertaking a sector review of the hairdressing industry to address what ACT leader David Seymour views as “unnecessary” regulations.* 
>  
> *\[…\] At first glance, the Hairdressing (Reducing Restrictions) Bill contains what seem like harmless, even appealing, ideas. Being offered a complimentary glass of wine or a beer while I get my hair done feels a little indulgent, luxurious even. After all, what harm could come from having a drink during a haircut?* 
>  
> *On the surface, the proposal appears to be about enhancing customer experience. But when we pause and take a closer look, we can see that it’s also about shifting our social norms around alcohol usage in ways that may not be immediately apparent.* 
>  
> *\[…\] The question we need to ask ourselves is – do we really want that?*

Well, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked past the barber’s and thought, mate, I just wish I could have a beer while I got my hair cut.

> *The more alcohol becomes a standard part of everyday experiences, the more we blur the lines between regulated consumption and casual drinking. If hairdressers can serve alcohol without a licence, what will stop other service businesses from making similar claims? What about gyms or waiting rooms?*

Slippery slope coming up in 3, 2, 1 …

> *“This bill represents a form of regulatory creep, bypassing the traditional liquor licensing process designed to ensure responsible alcohol service. These regulations exist for a reason – to protect both businesses and the public.* 
>  
> *We’re already seeing this creep in other areas.* 
>  
> *Digital marketing algorithms are* [*targeting young people*](https://theconversation.com/how-digital-marketing-of-legal-but-harmful-products-escalates-health-threats-to-the-most-vulnerable-201164?ref=goodoil.news) *and those in lower socioeconomic communities through reels, influencers and tailored* [*ads*](https://theconversation.com/how-digital-marketing-of-legal-but-harmful-products-escalates-health-threats-to-the-most-vulnerable-201164?ref=goodoil.news) *on social media.* 
>  
> *There is also the growth of online alcohol sales and doorstep deliveries, often operating in regulatory grey areas with* [*minimal oversight or checks in place*](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535241/alcohol-to-your-door-with-no-id-required-researchers-call-for-law-change?ref=goodoil.news)*.* 
>  
> *\[…\] New Zealand is grappling with significant alcohol-related harm, from family violence to long-term health issues. We already know, from decades’ worth of evidence and public health warnings, that increasing accessibility, affordability and availability of alcohol leads to more harm, not less.* 
>  
> *\[…\] None of this is to say that we should oppose all change. We should, however, be rigorous about the potential consequences. A free drink with your haircut sounds harmless, but it pushes alcohol further into our daily lives. When we think about our communities – the places where we spend our time – is this a shift we’re comfortable with?*

My question is why? Why is ACT wasting time on idiocy like this? Never in a million years would it have occurred to me that, wow, did you know that you can’t go the hairdressers and have a glass of wine? That’s just wrong. And we need specific legislation to fix it!

Here’s my solution and I’ll give it to David for free: make it so that no intoxicating substance can in served in spaces where children are allowed. If a business wants an exemption they can apply for it.

That way if a hairdresser wants to serve wine they just need to have, say, a ‘grownups’-only evening. Movie theatres could do the same thing. With the former, though, I can’t see it as something they’d be biting at the bit to do.

As it is, ACT and Seymour are just making fools out of themselves.

I mean, after all, we all know that boozed-up alcoholic Epsom housewives not being able to have Chardonnay while getting a perm is the most pressing issue facing our country.

Source: [e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/the-slow-creep-of-alcohol/](https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/the-slow-creep-of-alcohol/?ref=goodoil.news)