Comments on: The answers to our grog problem will be a home brew, says Lambley

By: Russell Guy

Russell Guy — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:33:57 +0000

When you consider the neo-violence in the Australian cultural precincts of Mitchell Street Darwin, Todd St Alice Springs, coal mining towns of the Hunter, Kings Cross Sydney and Melbourne’s CBD, you have to wonder at the alcohol policies of politicians like Terry Mills and Campbell Newman.
Ordinary Territorians have told me that “Terry is a good bloke”, but he is living in the golden age of “can you hold one down” having a beer after work. These days, that cultural edict has morphed into having six beers or alco-pops, washed down with a bottle of wine or maybe two over dinner, at home or an eating house. Add the stray bottle of vodka into the mix and you wouldn’t be exaggerating.
All of the above involves men and women in the Aussie drinking culture normalised by policies currently being pursued by the governments of Queensland and the NT.
The point I make, that these leaders are living in the past, is backed by the fact that we are in a Multi-national Substance Abuse Supply War: a supply tsunami that carries violence to new statistical and brutal levels – found on too many streets throughout Australia, urban and increasingly outback as the mining industry expands into farming towns like Chinchilla.
Some of the worst violence and self-harm is found in the back streets of remote and not so remote Aboriginal communities, but these canaries are being dwarfed by the monsters brazenly parading through white Australia in broad daylight, sucking alcohol and nitrous oxide, caffeine laced energy drink cocktails.
It beggars belief that any thinking person can recommend that alcohol legislation be relaxed. Bring back Sir Les Patterson! There’s no difference between him and our cultural commissars in Darwin and Brisbane, except, perhaps, Sir Les is not afraid to let it all hang out.
Although, I have grave fears that Sir Les would be mugged by someone too young to realise that he is a parody of what they are becoming as a result of our Honourable political leaders’ dishonourable commitment to alcohol.

By: Phil Walcott

Phil Walcott — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 01:06:38 +0000

@2 Renate is correct. Not sure how the NTG defines the term, but I too believe that all of us who live, work and conduct businesses here are “stakeholders” in the consultation process around this very complex social and economic debate. This debate has been going on for decades and the time has come for leadership. There are clear indications that this incumbent government is keen to work with stakeholders of all persuasions so let’s work with them to reach some compromise and enact some solutions.

By: Alice Online » On the wagon, or just the bandwagon?

Alice Online » On the wagon, or just the bandwagon? — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 00:58:27 +0000

[...] The answer to Alice grog problems will be a home brew, says Lambley: Alice Springs News [...]

By: Ian Sharp

Ian Sharp — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 23:32:13 +0000

It is hard to understand why the new government is so hostile to the BDR. It is a measure that targets the individual problem drinker, rather than the broader community. What is the problem with it?

By: Renate Schenk

Renate Schenk — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 09:40:10 +0000

It was very disappointing to make the effort to go to the meeting just to be not admitted to the “inner circle”. I think every resident of Alice is a “stakeholder” in this issue.