Annastacia Palaszczuk and Yvette D’Ath’s spectacular backflip on what they claimed were “much-needed” lockout laws twelve months ago is now official, after Labor voted to support the LNP and scrap their own 1am lockout in State Parliament today.
LNP Shadow Minister for Fair Trading Jarrod Bleijie said Labor’s inaction and indecision over the 1am lockout over the last twelve months had left Queensland’s liquor industry and thousands of employees in limbo.
“This time last year Annastacia Palaszczuk said she didn’t know how anyone in good conscience could vote against these laws – but tonight she’s done just that,” Mr Bleijie said.
“Instead of listening to the community and taking lockouts off the table, Labor was more interested in protecting their political image than the thousands of Queensland jobs that they put in jeopardy over the last twelve months.
“From day one, the LNP has stood beside business owners and employees who said the 1am lockout was grossly unfair – punishing the majority for the sins of a few.
“As recently as November last year, Labor voted against an LNP motion in Parliament to scrap the lockouts. We gave them an out but they refused to take it.
“Now just four months later, they’ve back-flipped on a key election policy.”
Mr Bleijie said Labor’s mishandling of the lockout laws was the latest in a line of bungles on the Palaszczuk Government show-reel.
“Under Labor we’ve seen trains that don’t turn up on time, changes to gaming laws that forgot to include Keno, a review of local government elections last year that forgot to appoint people to actually do the review – and the list goes on and on,” he said.
“And who could forget Dr Anthony Lynham – the man who campaigned on the single issue of alcohol-related violence and how now gone quiet on the issue because it’s ‘not in his portfolio’.
“It’s time Annastacia Palaszczuk and her Ministers started listening to Queenslanders to avoid a repeat of the mismanagement and uncertainty we’ve seen over the last twelve months.”
