❓ Mr Hunter questions the Minister regarding statements made during the Liquor Control Amendment Bill debate, specifically concerning alcohol restrictions and their impact on tourism in Carnarvon. The Minister defends the restrictions, citing a study suggesting they don't negatively impact tourism and may even improve it by enhancing safety.
AnsweredQoN 460Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Liquor restrictions
460. Mr Lachlan Hunter to
the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I have a
supplementary question.
Can the minister
confirm that that is not what he said in the third reading debate on the Liquor
Control Amendment Bill?
460. Mr Lachlan Hunter to
the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I have a
supplementary question.
Can the minister
confirm that that is not what he said in the third reading debate on the Liquor
Control Amendment Bill?
AnswerView source ↗
Yes, I can confirm
that that is not exactly what I said. I said you can buy it as a tourist; you
can buy takeaway alcohol, which is true, you have just got to be a lodger. That
aside, here is the question: What is the real point? In Carnarvon, what does
the member think has the worst impact on tourism?
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Minister!
Minister, just wait. Member for Central Wheatbelt, you have asked a question,
please do not interject. Let the minister respond. You may not like what he is
saying, but he has the right to respond.
Mr Paul Papalia: Thanks, Mr Speaker.
What does the member
think has the worst impact on tourism in Carnarvon—being unable as a
tourist to buy takeaway alcohol—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I am
calling you for the first time.
Mr Paul Papalia: — on a Sunday or Monday or
being known as being as bad as Alice Springs when it comes to out-of-control
crime driven by alcohol? Which does the member think has the worst impact on
tourism? I can tell him because Curtin University's National Drug Research
Institute published a report this week in the Australian
and New Zealand Journal of Public Health . It is the first study that has
looked at the relationship between alcohol licence restrictions and tourism
numbers. The study found that domestic traveller visits—it was looking
at Broome and Derby by the way, which have the same restrictions—to
those two major tourism regions in Western Australia were not adversely
impacted by new liquor laws aiming to reduce alcohol harms, with tourist visits
actually increasing after these changes were introduced. I quote a summary of
the report:
This research flips the script on a
long-held assumption that community-wide alcohol restrictions implemented to
address alcohol-related issues necessarily undermine tourism and suggests that alcohol
restrictions may in fact help bolster tourism numbers ...
Who knew that people—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt!
Mr Paul Papalia: — travelling in the regions
like to feel safe and would prefer that over, potentially, the inconvenience of
not being able to buy takeaway alcohol and maybe having to go into a pub,
restaurant or bar and sit down to have a drink on the day they are travelling
through Carnarvon? Who knew that that would be the case? I think we knew. We
anticipated that may have been the case. Therefore, we applauded the Director of
Liquor Licensing who applied that section 64 restriction, which was not applied
by the government, as an independent authority does those things. It has been
demonstrated to work and be successful in not only reducing crime, not only
making it safer for the community, not only giving the kids a chance to go to
school on Mondays, but in making it safer and better for tourism.
Visitors
The Speaker: Before I give the member for Bicton the
call, I acknowledge some guests in the Speaker's gallery, who are UnionsWA Anna
Stewart Memorial Project participants. Welcome to Parliament.
that that is not exactly what I said. I said you can buy it as a tourist; you
can buy takeaway alcohol, which is true, you have just got to be a lodger. That
aside, here is the question: What is the real point? In Carnarvon, what does
the member think has the worst impact on tourism?
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Minister!
Minister, just wait. Member for Central Wheatbelt, you have asked a question,
please do not interject. Let the minister respond. You may not like what he is
saying, but he has the right to respond.
Mr Paul Papalia: Thanks, Mr Speaker.
What does the member
think has the worst impact on tourism in Carnarvon—being unable as a
tourist to buy takeaway alcohol—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I am
calling you for the first time.
Mr Paul Papalia: — on a Sunday or Monday or
being known as being as bad as Alice Springs when it comes to out-of-control
crime driven by alcohol? Which does the member think has the worst impact on
tourism? I can tell him because Curtin University's National Drug Research
Institute published a report this week in the Australian
and New Zealand Journal of Public Health . It is the first study that has
looked at the relationship between alcohol licence restrictions and tourism
numbers. The study found that domestic traveller visits—it was looking
at Broome and Derby by the way, which have the same restrictions—to
those two major tourism regions in Western Australia were not adversely
impacted by new liquor laws aiming to reduce alcohol harms, with tourist visits
actually increasing after these changes were introduced. I quote a summary of
the report:
This research flips the script on a
long-held assumption that community-wide alcohol restrictions implemented to
address alcohol-related issues necessarily undermine tourism and suggests that alcohol
restrictions may in fact help bolster tourism numbers ...
Who knew that people—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt!
Mr Paul Papalia: — travelling in the regions
like to feel safe and would prefer that over, potentially, the inconvenience of
not being able to buy takeaway alcohol and maybe having to go into a pub,
restaurant or bar and sit down to have a drink on the day they are travelling
through Carnarvon? Who knew that that would be the case? I think we knew. We
anticipated that may have been the case. Therefore, we applauded the Director of
Liquor Licensing who applied that section 64 restriction, which was not applied
by the government, as an independent authority does those things. It has been
demonstrated to work and be successful in not only reducing crime, not only
making it safer for the community, not only giving the kids a chance to go to
school on Mondays, but in making it safer and better for tourism.
Visitors
The Speaker: Before I give the member for Bicton the
call, I acknowledge some guests in the Speaker's gallery, who are UnionsWA Anna
Stewart Memorial Project participants. Welcome to Parliament.
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