Page 3273 - Week 11 - Thursday, 12 September 1991
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That was a specific recommendation put forward by the police and echoed by a number of other organisations, perhaps at different times. Mr Stefaniak mentioned the problems out at Weston. One of the difficulties is that, when so many different establishments are closing at different hours and you have drunks rolling out at different hours, police cannot effectively control it.
I have mentioned previously in this Assembly the problem at the Weston all-night service station whereby regular customers have caused problems early in the morning when they are under the influence of alcohol. They are perfectly acceptable when they do their normal shopping or fill their car with petrol, but under the influence of alcohol they have a major problem. I mentioned that one of them is currently serving three months' gaol for serious assault. This is a very simple action that we can take that will constitute a very significant response, I and many other people believe, to the problem.
I wish to raise one other matter that we spoke about in our standing committee report on public behaviour - that of skateboards. We made three recommendations concerning skateboards. We said that the Government should prepare legislation to ban the riding of bicycles and skateboards within 20 metres of an open shopfront, and that the Government should also identify such areas as roads, median strips, car parks, car ramps, et cetera - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Stevenson, what is the relevance? We are not discussing that report. We are discussing the matter of public importance.
MR STEVENSON: Indeed, and I am just about to get to the relevance, Mr Speaker. When people are under the influence of alcohol, it makes the problem so much worse.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health and Minister for Sport) (3.50): This is another classic example of the Residents Rally members beating up a crisis on an issue and feeding off it. It is very interesting that now they are competing with Dennis Stevenson for the same ground. I think that is going to make for an interesting race in the next election - Dennis Stevenson and the Residents Rally fighting for the same ground.
What it boils down to is whipping up a storm on the basis of a report - the GALA report. It is very interesting that members of the former Government who were responsible for undoing GALA are now singing the praises of its report. That is a very interesting observation, I think most members would agree. It appears, though, that the industry is well regulated.
Mr Kinloch: Visit a youth refuge, Wayne.
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