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Category: Federal - State Issues / Alcohol / Food and Beverage

Palaszczuk says 'entire' caucus behind earlier bar closing times

Tuesday, 2 Feb 2016 13:12:09 | Chris O'Brien

Ms Gambaro said early closure laws risked thousands of jobs. (ABC TV News - file image)

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the public, and all of her caucus, are in favour of earlier closing times for nightclubs to reduce alcohol-related violence.

A parliamentary committee is due to report next week on the Tackling Alcohol-fuelled Violence Legislation Amendment Bill, which will be debated when the house resumes the following week.

The new laws would force venues to stop serving alcohol at 2:00am, or at 3:00am with a 1:00am lockout.

Non-government MPs and Labor's Member for Cairns Rob Pyne expressed concerns but Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Pyne was now in favour.

My caucus is of the firm view that we must do this to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence.

Annastacia Palaszczuk, Queensland Premier

"My caucus is of the firm view that we must do this to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence, and that is the entire caucus," she said.

Ms Palaszczuk ruled out significant compromises to the proposed legislation.

"These laws have been put to the Parliament and they are now in the final stages of the committee. I don't expect any major changes," she said.

"We have announced our policy very clearly to the Queensland public and a recent Galaxy poll shows very clearly that there is overwhelming public support for our laws."

LNP spokesman Ian Walker said the Opposition was still not convinced.

"There's hard evidence being produced to the parliamentary committee. That's what we want to look at, not a poll of 300 people," he said.

Mr Walker's federal colleague Teresa Gambaro, whose family has been involved in the hospitality industry for decades, has launched an online petition against the earlier closing times, claiming the lockout laws would not reduce violence but would put up to 6,000 jobs at risk.

Ms Gambaro said she had no financial interest in the family business.

AustraliaPlus


 

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