Country Liberals should not feed the rumour mill

2
1547

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
 
Sir – Country Liberals leader Lia Finocchiaro should stop peddling anecdotes from take-away liquor licensees, take a deep breath, and wait for the Minimum Unit Price (alcohol floor price) evaluation which is due out in a few short weeks.
 
Her feverish outburst in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, during which she called for the floor price to be dropped because she had heard from alcohol outlets that people were buying more grog, was ill-advised.
 
It beggars belief that the new Opposition Leader would rely on anecdotes from liquor retailers to tell the Assembly that more alcohol has been sold since the floor price came in, and demand that the Government get rid of the floor price on that basis.
 
If that is what passes for evidence with any elected Member, we are in trouble.
 
The Country Liberals supported the floor price, along with other reforms, until they did a sudden backflip last year.
 
Now they want it abandoned, as they abandoned the Banned Drinker Register after the 2012 election, with no evaluation, and despite the fact that it was going well.
 
Let’s see what the skilled and qualified researchers come up with, rather than being swayed by whispers and rumours from liquor licensees before we have the evidence in front of us,” said Dr. Boffa.

 
Dr John Boffa (pictured)
People’s Alcohol Action Coalition

 
 
 

2 COMMENTS

  1. Should the Government, through getting the hell out of the way, not encourage that competition drive the product cost and not bureaucratic red tape?
    Surely the Government should be trying to reduce the cost of living for its citizens rather than inflating them with floor prices. That’s what capitalism is all about.
    Or does that not work in with the socialist business model?
    The rest of the country as a whole can consume and do business in the alcohol industry like grown ups, but here in the NT we must be treated like children, or perhaps North Korean underlings. The issue is the welfare system not alcohol.
    Spend some of your tax payer funded time on that issue perhaps? What decrease in alcohol consumption would occur if money not earned did not exist?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here