Page 4569 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 20 November 1991
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was in an underground location in the city without a fire exit. At another disco 700-odd children were found one night, with the police watching it, after I raised concerns, and seeing parents drop children off to the alleged prohibition disco while children were going out into the city because they could not get in.
I have also said here, as I say again, that I am not happy about the response by our officials. I regret to say that. I am no critic of the Law Office - in fact, I am always complimenting them - but I am unhappy at the lack of progress of reform in the whole liquor area. It took us years to get some of the amendments to the Liquor Act through. Legal solutions alone are not the answer; nor is punishment the answer, I say to Mr Stefaniak.
Mr Stefaniak: I am not saying that punishment is better; I am just saying that a few rules might help.
MR COLLAERY: No, we are not going to pat them on the head, Mr Stefaniak. What we have to do is determine the cost to the community of the quick-rich discos. A couple of the sleazy discos we now have in town are really rough, on the best available advice to me. Why does this city have to put up with the cost of policing, the cost of the injuries, the health costs and all the rest, while the fast bucks are made? The shops close after two or three years, as we have seen.
We should examine that issue. What I said is in the Hansard. I did not receive any response from the people advising me at the time as to whether they thought that was a good idea for me as Minister or not. It typified what I believe was a lack, in the Gaming and Liquor Authority days, of a search for innovative reforms in the liquor area.
What Mr Berry said is his press release from last week. This is top dressing. He has not excluded whether his party will conduct an inquiry. He knows from public comments last week that our patience is wearing thin. This is a matter of profound public importance and the Labor Party, at their peril, will continue to ignore our call, our democratic vote in this chamber. I want them to note those words so that they will know, if anything happens to them, why it has happened. This is not a matter that the people of the Territory can stand back from and ignore in the way the Labor Party has.
MS MAHER, by leave: I commend the Labor Party for these initiatives, but I was appalled at the reaction of Mr Connolly and Mr Berry when we were putting up the motion for a board of inquiry into alcohol. Their behaviour at the time was atrocious.
Mr Connolly: That is nonsense.
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