Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2954 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Heaven Nite Club in Civic continued trading but did not sell any alcohol, which of course is an option under the legislation. The Avenue in Civic closed right on the dot of 4.00 am and basically pushed its customers out into the street - not very good PR, I would have thought; nonetheless, that was what they did. For the most part, the action of licensees was pretty responsible. There was not any evidence that my staff or my officers reported of binge drinking or multiple purchasing before 4.00 am. It appeared that people handled that in a fairly mature and well-organised way. There were a few problems with law and order around the place. These related mainly to intoxicated people leaving nightclubs and urinating on shopwindows and in bus shelters - the usual sorts of problems.

Mr Wood: This was all about stopping that. It does not seem to have been too successful.

MR HUMPHRIES: Let me make it clear. I am not going to stamp out urination on bus shelters and shopwindows. Much as I would like to be able to do so, Mr Wood, I do not guarantee that I will do that - that is, that I will stamp it out, not that I will not do it myself.

Mr De Domenico: Why not?

MR HUMPHRIES: I guarantee that as well, but let me say that these sorts of things will go on, Mr Speaker. Drunks will be drunks, to use a phrase I have just made up. Let me say also that - - -

Ms McRae: And boys will be boys. Girls do not do it.

MR HUMPHRIES: I will accept the wisdom - very little of it these days - coming from the opposite bench that girls do not do it. I will take that as read. There will be some of that going on, but I am hopeful that the level of problem will diminish as a result of this trial. Indeed, the evidence available to me from the police and liquor licensing inspectors is that the problems usually associated with Civic at any time between midnight and 7.00 am were fewer over this weekend than they have been on previous occasions. It is early days yet, I concede. There are many things yet to happen and we are yet to get to the summer months.

I understand that the level of problem was not very serious. Aerial Taxis reported to police at around 6.00 am that they had had few problems and waiting times were less than they had expected. They reorganised their shift change so that everyone was on the road on the dot of 4 o'clock. In fact, there were 270 cars available on the road. By 5 o'clock there were taxis galore and nobody waiting for them.

MR OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr Humphries. Minister, are you aware of the proposal by the New South Wales Labor Gaming and Racing Minister, Richard Face, to have a 2.00 am close for liquor licensed premises in New South Wales?

Mr De Domenico: Not a Labor person!

MR OSBORNE: A Labor one.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .