Page 108 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 8 April 1992
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Zone Nightclub Promotion
MS ELLIS: My question is directed to the Attorney-General. The Zone Nightclub recently advertised a promotion for a "$10 all you can drink night". What is the Government's view of this?
MR CONNOLLY: I thank Ms Ellis for her question. Members may have heard ads on commercial radio in Canberra promoting a function at the Zone Nightclub described as the "crazy $10 all you can drink Thursday night", stating, "No, it's not just middies of beer or weak spirit jugs. Just rock on in with 10 bucks - you'll party hard and drink what you want".
Mr Lamont: With the GST it would cost you $20.
MR CONNOLLY: While there is an element of mirth detected in the chamber and, as Mr Lamont indicates, with GST it would cost rather more, this is a serious matter. While I do not think any of us in the chamber would be described as wowsers, there is an appropriate time and place for alcohol promotion, and an appropriate limit.
I think all members would encourage, as the Government does, safe drinking. My colleague Mr Berry, within his portfolio, is bringing forward ranges of initiatives to promote healthy use of alcohol and safe and sensible use of alcohol. This type of promotion which encourages people quite expressly to go in and drink to excess can only be seen as irresponsible because it is encouraging excessive drinking, binge drinking and then getting out onto the roads in the community.
The Government has, through its licensing section, expressed to the licensee of these premises its concern about this type of advertising, this type of promotion. We have reminded the licensee that it is an offence under the Liquor Act to sell liquor to a person who is intoxicated. We will have inspectors present at this promotion to look both for breaches of that section of the Liquor Act and for under-age drinking, and we would hope that this type of promotion of binge drinking would be actively discouraged.
It should be pointed out that in Victoria in recent months there have been similar campaigns and promotions, in particular a practice called "lay-back" in which a person lies on the bar and has alcohol poured down his throat by patrons, which has resulted in deaths. So, binge drinking promotions are most irresponsible. The Government does take a dim view of this promotion because it is quite inconsistent with the good work that is being done in Mr Berry's area in relation to healthy drinking and healthy use of alcohol. We will have inspectors out and about for this function, and we will be looking actively for breaches of the Liquor Act.
Government Purchases
MR DE DOMENICO: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Chief Minister. I am sure that the Chief Minister agrees with her numerous statements from time to time that the expansion of employment in the ACT and the region will have to be generated in the future by the private sector. If she does so agree,
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