A member’s bill that will legalise a cuppa at the hairdresser has been added to the Parliamentary ballot this week by East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick.

“As absurd as it may sound - it is currently an offence to serve a drink in the service area of a hairdressing salon or a barber and it is illegal to take a dog, apart from a Guide Dog, into a salon as well.”

Mrs Kirkpatrick’s Hairdressing (Reducing Restrictions) Legislation Bill will remove these restrictions.

“This is a bill that fixes an age-old rule turning our wonderful hair stylists and barbers into criminals because it is currently illegal to serve any beverage - whether it be tea, coffee, bubbles, or beer - in a hair salon,” she said.

“My Bill would fix up these trivial laws preventing salons, hairdressers and barbers from offering an enhanced experience to their customers.

“Times have moved on; we have a much more liberal approach to where we take our canine companions these days and hairdressers are no threat to a dog in a handbag or vice versa. Dogs are even allowed onsite in Parliament and throughout the country in offices, and places of work, so why not in a hair salon?”

The bill would allow hairdressing businesses to provide beverages while a customer has their hair cut, including one alcoholic beverage of no more than 1.5 standard drinks. It would allow dogs on the premises if the business chooses.

“Many salons already offer tea and coffee or a glass of bubbles but are unaware of the laws that exist preventing this.

“If pulled from the ballot, I hope that my Parliamentary colleagues will support this bill to ensure that we have a common-sense approach to the rules around cutting someone’s hair.”

This is not Ms Kirkpatrick’s first members bill. A previous bill was for harsher sentences for assaults on first responders such as ambulance staff and firefighters.

“Those are the people that we send to help people in need and the last thing they need is to be assaulted. We’ve rolled that into another piece of legislation that is coming through at some point soon. So, I had to find another one.”

The bill has delighted her aunt, Cherie Gaukrodger, who has been hairdressing in Gisborne for about 50 years.

"It’s just nonsense that we legislate against having a cup of tea. I’d love to have a glass of bubbles while someone was doing my hair. And I know a lot of men have said to me since, ‘it would be great to have a beer at the barber, wouldn’t it’.

“Life’s too hectic. We just need to relax a bit. We’re allowed dogs in Parliament. MPs bring their dogs into work with them.

"We now allow them in pubs and cafes here, if they want to do it, so why not the hairdresser.”