The Labor state government in Queensland is tipped to bring in lock-out laws as early as next month in conjunction with a new national anti-violence campaign ‘Just Let It Go’, the policy will aim for the same 1am venue lockouts, high-alcohol drink restrictions after midnight and stop service of alcohol at 3am Sydney is currently under.
The legislation was one of the election promises for the local Labor party and will replace the LNP’s Safe Night Out Strategy (which you can read below) and opposition leader Lawrence Springborg is openly against the oncoming legislation and has vowed to block the plan but he needs party support to make that happen, “this lockout proposal will directly hit the small businesses that are the lifeblood of this city’s night-time economy, not to mention the hundreds of people employed in the industry” (via courier mail)
Attorney General for the Labor Party Yvette D’Ath, the champion for the incoming legislation is motivated, like all political support for the lock-out model is to combat alcohol fuelled violence across the board, “there is a community desire and expectation out there that we tackle alcohol-fuelled violence…Shifting the service of alcohol hours makes a difference, we have seen the evidence.” (via ABC News)
It’s the same song, different singers – we know the results of the lock out laws in Sydney and while purely by the numbers it is effective it is not the band-aid to fix the cultural issue of alcohol fuelled violence.
Throw your support to Springborg via twitter here and hit up the party members that he needs to combat the lock out laws here –
And for those interested you can read the LNP Safe Night Out Strategy right here
Sydney Siders sign the ‘Please reconsider lock out laws for Sydney Nightlife’ petition right – here
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