Page 450 - Week 02 - Thursday, 22 February 1990
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We were very impressed by police evidence, both the actual evidence and the way it was given, and by the people who came before us and their recommendation to change the licensing laws to exclude the period 4.00 am to 10.00 am.
Mr Stevenson and I have not even gone that far, but suggest the period of closure to be 4.00 am to 8.00 am. At a time when our Attorney-General is reviewing the operations of GALA, may we suggest that he carefully ponders on this proposed limitation of hours so that alcohol would be openly available for 20 instead of 24 hours of the day. This is a pragmatic suggestion. If I had my druthers I would propose a longer period of closure.
May I conclude with a larger vision. We are a nation already going down the tubes as seen by Standard and Poor and by Moody's report. We are a nation deeply in public and in private debt. We are a nation, however, with a national capital, a national city, which should be concerned with setting standards and upholding values.
We are in danger of becoming the gambling capital and the pornography capital of Australia. Could we, in this matter of alcohol at least, begin to set some kind of changing standard? Could we begin to say on behalf of the nation, "We are not a lucky country. We are a drink-sodden country with one of the worst records of alcohol abuse in the world. Let us help to turn our nation around, to encourage and create higher standards of private and public behaviour".
In this matter, a small item here, I applaud the Chief Minister's confirmation that alcohol will not be served at public events hosted by ACT Government Departments and agencies during working hours. Of course that is a question of the public purse. In that respect, then, we have made a good start.
Finally, I endorse the comments of Bill Wood and Robyn Nolan about our committee staff, especially Dr Ann Scott. We look forward to continuing to work with her on the Social Policy Committee.
MS MAHER (11.01): As a member of the Social Policy Committee, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak about the Public Behaviour Inquiry report which has been tabled today. I would also like to thank the other members of the committee, especially Mr Wood, and our secretary, Dr Ann Scott, who has been most helpful and patient during the course of the report.
The terms of reference for the inquiry ask the committee to report on whether there are problems, significant or otherwise, of public behaviour in the ACT. The committee was pleased to be able to conclude that in general the public did not think that there were significant public behaviour problems in the ACT. However, the committee was concerned that some members of the community felt that
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