Page 1201 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 9 April 2008
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MR SPEAKER: Mr Stefaniak!
MR CORBELL: The government is committed to addressing the issues of underage and binge drinking in the community. As members should be aware—but I draw the Liberal Party’s attention to this matter again—the government has recently released a discussion paper as part of a comprehensive review of the ACT’s Liquor Act to ensure that the law is consistent with best practice and community standards. The effectiveness of good laws in this area of course depends largely on enforcement of those laws. I would like to highlight to members recent actions taken by the ACT Liquor Licensing Board which highlight the rigorous approach that continues to be taken by the police and liquor inspectors to the issue of underage drinking in licensed premises. Most recently, there have been four matters where fines and conditions—
Mr Stefaniak: Why don’t you have on-the-spot fines for it?
MR CORBELL: You are just not interested. This is the problem in the Liberal Party: they are just not interested in this serious issue of regulation and sale of alcohol in our community.
I draw members’ attention to four matters that have recently been before the Liquor Licensing Board. Most recently, four clubs or bars in the Civic area have been fined as a result of selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 or having persons under the age of 18 on the premises. In particular, Bar 32 in Civic were fined $1,000, with $500 suspended for 12 months and becoming payable should further breaches of the Liquor Act occur in the next 12 months. The liquor board has acknowledged that, since the offence, Bar 32 have put new procedures in place to prevent further occurrences of underage drinking, and they should be commended for the proactive approach they have taken since this incident took place.
ICBM, another nightclub in the Civic area, has been before the board for having a person under the age of 18 in the bar area on the premises. The offenders were identified as a result of police and liquor licensing inspector activity. That licensee has been fined $4,000 in total for two separate offences, with $1,500 suspended for 12 months and becoming payable if further breaches of the act occur within the next 12 months.
A bar called Meche was before the board for having a person under the age of 18 in a bar area on the premises. The offenders again were identified by police and liquor licensing inspectors and the licensee has been fined $4,000 in total for two separate offences. Finally, Company Nightclub has also been fined a total of $1,000.
This highlights the very practical approach being taken by liquor licensing inspectors and police in the community and it is the approach that we will continue to adopt to address issues with the sale of alcohol to underage people in Canberra.
Legislative Assembly Secretariat—submission to Remuneration Tribunal
MR MULCAHY: My question is to you, Mr Speaker. Can you confirm that the Legislative Assembly Secretariat recently made a submission to the Remuneration Tribunal? Will you table that submission for the interest of members?
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