Lockout laws debate
by Leon Gettler
The battle is heating up over the Queensland government’s push for lockout laws.
Robbie Katter and fellow MP Shane Knuth from the Katter Australia Party hold the whip hand and former backbencher-turned-independent Billy Gordon is offering no support for the change.
The Opposition will vote against the Tackling Alcohol-Fuelled Violence Legislation Amendment Bill.
Independent speaker Peter Wellington is expected to back the laws so Labor needs just one more vote or the bill will face defeat.
With numbers in the Parliament so tight, former Queensland premier Peter Beattie has weighed into the debate.
The former leader is urging parliamentarians to support the changes which are even tougher than the 3am lockouts that he introduced in the state's pubs and clubs more than a decade ago.
Mr Beattie told Fairfax Media that Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was facing a similar situation to the one he had faced in 2005.
“When we wanted to do the 3am lockouts, everybody protested against us," Mr Beattie said.
"We did it because a young man was killed in alcohol-fuelled stupidity.
"The reality is, it's all very well for people to say it's going to affect tourism and all the rest, but if young Australians are going to get killed, we have a responsibility to do something about it."
The Premier yesterday held talks with Katter’s Australian Party North Queensland MPs to vote with the State Government.
The KAP MPs put out a statement last night saying they would consider their position after “productive” talks.
16th February 2016
