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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2273 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

It is not sufficient for them to say, "This incident, this particular criminal act or this act of social irresponsibility occurred outside my premises". That is not a sufficient answer to that issue. Therefore, Mr Speaker, we need to find ways of being able to better link those licensees - those traders in alcohol - with the problems which that trade is causing. I accept that there are question marks over whether cessation of trading in alcohol at 4.00 am is the full answer to that issue, or indeed even a partial answer to that issue, and I think that the issues which have been put on the table tonight in the document that has been tabled do go some way towards addressing that link or those links. For that reason, Mr Speaker, I believe that we need to go further down that path.

I will briefly say, before finishing, that I think we have all seen the comments of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia about research from the National Centre for Research into the Prevention of Drug Abuse. They have indicated in that research a very clear link between trading in alcohol for extended periods and a whole series of social problems - violent and sexual assaults; people leaving hotels and getting into cars and involving themselves in car accidents; the simple larger consumption of alcohol and the issue of violence, road crashes and accidents after midnight, causing a great cost to the community through additional police and emergency services expenses.

Mr Speaker, I do not know whether it has been tabled already, but I want to table the media release from the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council in which those findings are summarised. I think that we need to explore this issue better and further, and I believe that the next three months will give us that opportunity. I commend the Bill to the house.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Bill, by leave, taken as a whole

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (9.14): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave to move together the four amendments circulated in my name.

Leave granted.

MR HUMPHRIES: I move:

Page 1, line 6, clause 2, omit the clause, substitute the following clause:

"Commencement

2. This Act commences on 1 July 1997.".

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