We note that more recently another business owner is in the news relating to his decision to ban a section of the public from his establishment. After enduring a weekend of drunken fights, vandalism and general mayhem the owner of Monteith's Brewery Bar in Paraparaumu has banned all persons under the age of 20.
While banning people from a geographical area is probably not breaching the Human Rights Act, imposing a ban on the basis of age could well be.
However, the stand by the besieged bar owner has been applauded by police and we were pleased to see that over 50% of readers of an online Dominion Post opinion poll answered to the affirmative to the question: "Should a Kapiti pub be able to ban young people"?
Perhaps more importantly the Kapiti bar owner has the support of the Motella Blog.
Not surprisingly, hand-wringing, socialist wowsers are turning to the Human Rights Act to override the business owner's right to determine who he should host and allow on his own private property.
Disappointingly, Bruce Robertson, Hospitality Association of New Zealand chief executive was probably caught off guard when approached for comment and gave a cut and paste quote suggesting that the bar should "focus on behaviour, not age."
Yeah, we realise that on the face of it, the bar owners actions could be flouting the Human Rights Act, however Bruce Robertson's comments are not good enough.
In this case we believe that the law is an ass. Bruce, we respectfully suggest that after you come home from the beach, you revisit this situation to determine how you can better serve your members.
Accommodation providers that also prefer to deal with "adults" will be looking on to see if there is a way around the present law or if there needs to be coordinated advocacy for common sense...
