Alcohol law reforms delayed
The introduction of long-awaited secondary supply alcohol laws has been delayed after the Liberal party room yesterday rejected the Nationals’ staged approach to reforming WA’s liquor licensing framework.
Samantha Menezes, the Churchlands mother who first called for the laws in March 2013, said last night that she was concerned delays could prevent their passage before leavers’ week in November.
Penalties for supplying alcohol to minors without a parent’s consent were first resisted, then finally backed by the Government in November as part of wide-ranging reforms recommended in its review of the Liquor Control Act.
Racing and Gaming Minister and Nationals MP Colin Holt has split the reforms into two Bills, the first dealing with secondary supply and minor anomalies including alfresco licensing, which he intended to introduce in Parliament today. The time-table was abandoned after Liberal MPs learnt that other key reforms aimed at reducing red tape and boosting enterprise were being left to a second tranche of legislation.
It included allowing country liquor stores to open on Sundays and pubs to open until midnight on Sundays, rather than 10pm.
MPs observed it could be next year before the second tranche was introduced, leaving the Government exposed to Opposition criticism that it was not moving quickly enough to modernise the liquor scene and boost jobs and tourism. Some Liberals were also unhappy that a key plank of the first tranche — allowing wineries and breweries in regional areas to band together with a single shopfront — was not being extended to regions on the metropolitan fringe such as the Swan Valley.
The West Australian has been told that the content of the first tranche was endorsed by the party room on the proviso that Cabinet investigate whether the trading hours reforms could be packaged with it.
It is not known when the Bill will be introduced.
The delay is a blow for Premier Colin Barnett, who wanted to blunt Opposition attacks about the delays to secondary supply legislation, which Labor committed to from the start.
Ms Menezes said it would be “really disappointing” if secondary supply penalties were not in place by November, when a significant proportion of leavers would be older than 18.
“At the moment these teenagers know it’s not illegal to supply alcohol to kids,” she said.
Source: The West Australian, Daniel Emerson, 12th August 2015
Originally published as: Alcohol law reforms delayed
