Expect more tomorrow from the local pub owners’ mouthpiece, Greg Pellegini, following his piece in today’s Bulletin claiming that alcohol related violence is everybody’s fault except those who profit from it.
News this morning that the parliamentary Law, Justice and Safety Committee’s Inquiry into Alcohol-Related Violence has recommended 2am closing for pubs in Flinders St will have him crying in his beer.
And a damn good thing too.
Pellegini's argument that “the onus was on club patrons to control themselves, rather than entertainment venue hours being restricted” is a bit like those who profit from pokies (and deliberately design their venues to encourage gambling) arguing that they have no responsibility for gambling addiction, or that the sale of heroin should be legalised but the consumption of it policed.
Clubs and pubs trade into the early hours of the morning for one reason and one reason only - in order that people can drink more and for longer and thus generate more profits.
Finally, ya gotta laugh (or, is that cry) at representatives of “free” (ro do anything) enterprise who argue that their right to profit should be protected by the expenditure of more public money – this time on coppers and hospitals.
4 comments:
I'm from Townsville as well and I have to disagree with you.
Clubs/pubs offer a service, its the patron's responsibility to stop when they reach their limit. Stop holding people's hand and trying to blame everyone else because people can't hold their alcohol or control their emotions - according to the law you have to be 18 to drink, then ACT like an adult and know when to stop.
Like Pellegini said ''There needs to be harsher penalties for people who are out and showing disrespect to other customers, the police and emergency services.'' Punish the people for their actions that could be prevented had they acted like ADULTS and stopped when they should have.
Also, you do realize by them cutting back pub/club hours they also cut back honest people's job hours (bouncers, bar maids, bartenders, etc.) which force more to claim payments from Centrelink?
Your comments are the equivalent of saying guns kill people. No guns don't kill people - people kill people. Its a decision on one person's part, the same as drinking and gambling.
The fact of the matter is you don't HAVE to go in there, you CHOOSE to. Act like an adult and man up. Plus no matter where you go and what you do there will always be a need for cops and hospitals because man as a whole is violent. Some just think alcohol gives them the right to exhibit it more freely.
Chris Chappell's views in this blog reflect his social work background where people dont have to take responsibility for their actions. Grow up Chris all u want is more social handouts so u can feed off the public tit a bit more.
@ Anonymous #1 reagding your "No, guns don't kill people..." comment - see: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/dead-toddler-thought-gun-was-wii-controller/1772284.aspx?src=rss
@ Anonymous #2 - you seem to miss the point of my post. My objection is to the public having to subsidise the profits of the pub industry. After all, business is the largest recipient of public subsidy and welfare in Austraila.
PS: Who's Chris Chappell?
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