Page 1926 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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Mr Berry: You are the Chief Minister.
MR KAINE: I am Chief Minister; but I am not clairvoyant, unlike Mr Berry, who seems to have a crystal ball that he gazes into and can tell us exactly what is going to happen in six months time. I do not have that facility. I will await the outcome of the due process that we have set in train. We will get a decision a lot quicker than Ms Follett and your crew would have done, and hopefully it will be a much more successful outcome.
When that outcome is known in connection with a project associated with the provision of a casino we will tell you what, if anything, needs to be done in connection with section 19. It is a rather odd question to ask since there is so much that has to be done before we can even know what the future of section 19 is. I am not clairvoyant, Mr Speaker, although sometimes I wish I were.
Prohibition Discos
DR KINLOCH: My question is to Mr Collaery in his role as Attorney-General. I refer to a heading in the Canberra Times today which says, "Why the move against prohibition discos?". Is there a move against so-called prohibition discos, and what is the background to any action regarding them?
Mr Berry: I bet he changes his policy now.
MR COLLAERY: It is a very apt question. Mr Berry thinks I have a policy on it; I do not. It is as simple as that. That is why I stood up. Mr Speaker, here is a classic case of a headline manufacturing its own message - "Why the move against prohibition discos?". Well, there is no move against prohibition discos. I think it is timely that I inform the house of the concerns that have been expressed to me by the Australian Federal Police and the background to this matter.
Firstly, in March the police indicated to me, and earlier they had indicated to the relevant authorities, that there were large numbers of young children, infants in law, roaming sections of Civic because there was overcrowding at these premises and they had not got in. They had been dropped off by their parents and there was overcrowding. At the same time our liquor inspectors were reporting an upsurge in the city area of incidents of detected under-age drinking.
Against that background and other inquiries which suggested that at one of the premises in question more than 650 children had attended one particular function, I asked the relevant authorities - police and liquor authorities - to give me more information. It is timely that the Government reaches a policy on the matter.
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