Queensland lockout laws: LNP member fears suburban unrest
ONE MP has made a strange contribution to the debate over drunken violence, arguing his state is about to be beset with wild suburban parties.
A QUEENSLAND MP has warned that the state will be beset with wild suburban parties where people will have “sex in the garden” after its lockout laws take place.
The state government’s highly controversial Alcohol Fuelled Violence Amendment Bill was passed in Parliament last night, after a marathon debate.
The Bill was passed just before 3am — the time pubs and clubs will be forced to kick out patrons under the new legislation.
Speaking in State Parliament last night, LNP state member Trevor Watts said that through his 25 years’ experience working in and around pubs, he believed the laws would force young partygoers to host wild suburban parties.
“There is a tipping point, when you close the venues too early those people will drink at other places because they wont bother going to where the entertainment is, it will all become too hard for them,” he said.
“They’re going to be partying next door to your house, they’re going to be making noise, they’re going to be having sex in the garden.”
The Member for Toowoomba North said anyone who believed young people would simply go home to bed after lockout was “living in la la land”.
“The fear I have you will put the young people of Queensland in real serious danger where people quite literally can get away with murder,” he said.
“We know that if someone gets assaulted in a safe night precinct that there are police, there are cameras, there is ambulance, there is support.
Mr Watts slammed the government, saying that even if someone was to be assaulted in the suburbs it would not factor in the statistics because it was out of the public eye.
“Can you imagine that is going to happen to the young girl that gets sexually assaulted in the private party with hundreds of people that arrived from a Facebook invite?” he said.
“The good news for you is it probably wont make it into your statistics, because no one will report it.
“You can sit there with a clean conscience and say isn’t it fantastic, we’ve cured the world, but that won’t help her.
“Lets get education in place, because you’re not going to change the culture by closing the door.”
The debate saw heated argument from both sides of the house, with the government holding firm on its beliefs that the lessened trading hours would see a reduction in the amount of alcohol fuelled violence.
Dr Anthony Lynham delivered an emotional address on his experience as an emergency department surgeon who used to piece together the faces of victims of alcohol-fuelled violence.
The bill was supported by the two KAP members Robbie Katter and Shane Kunuth while rogue independent Billy Gordon voted against the government.
Originally published as Queensland lockout laws: LNP member fears suburban unrest