Grog culture defended as 'core social value'

Chief Minister Adam Giles has defended the Northern Territory's drinking culture as a "core social value".

Speaking at an Australian Hotels Association (AHA) annual awards dinner in Darwin last night, Mr Giles said the tradition of "having a coldie" in a pub should be "enshrined" as part of Territory life.

"This is our lifestyle, this is the way we live," he said.

Mr Giles said the Government would do its best to support the liquor industry.

"We all know the benefits of the Territory lifestyle, the opportunity and excitement around having a coldie, whether it's at the Daly Waters Pub, at Bojangles, or the Humpty Doo Tavern," he said.

Earlier in the evening, Deputy Chief Minister Dave Tollner told the gathering that the previous Labor government's alcohol policies had treated Territorians like "criminal suspects" and publicans like "heroin traffickers".

Mr Tollner made the comments in reference to the ALP's Banned Drinkers Register (BDR).

The BDR was abolished immediately after the Country Liberals won power last year.

Mr Tollner said his Government was putting in place a very different regime to give problem drinkers a chance to be rehabilitated.

"A year ago, Territorians were made to feel like criminal suspects every time they went into a bottle shop, publicans were something akin to heroin traffickers and innocent tourists were turned away every time they lobbed into a liquor takeaway or the like," he said.

Mr Tollner said publicans had been unfairly represented in the media as not caring about alcohol abuse in the community.

In February, AHA chief executive officer Paul Nicolaou told the ABC that problem drinkers "were society's problem, not the AHA's".

Mr Tollner told last night's gathering the AHA does care about problem drinkers in the Territory.

"Unlike what has been fed to the media in previous months, these guys are actually very keen to deal with the problem caused by alcohol on the streets," he said.

Mr Tollner said the Country Liberals' compulsory alcohol rehabilitation plans would give problem drinkers the help they needed but those who committed crime while intoxicated would be penalised.

The Opposition labelled Mr Tollner's comments as obnoxious.

Labor's Delia Lawrie says the comments won't help solve the Territory's alcohol problems.

"Referring to publicans as being treated like heroin traffickers is really quite obnoxious," she said.

"It misses the point of what we are trying to deal with here, which is drunks in the parks and in the streets."

John Boffa from the alcohol advocacy group PAAC today criticised Mr Tollner's rhetoric.

"It is really concerning to hear the Minister talk with such extreme language," he said.

"I think it's bordering on delusional; it's hysterical."

Source: ABC News, 24 May 2013