Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In Townsville we are looking for jobs and we need every one of them. That is why it was so disappointing that the Queensland Labor government, with the crossbenches, voted to support the lockout laws for our nightclub and music industries.

Make no mistake: these new laws will cost jobs. Make no mistake: the grubs who go out looking to king hit people as a form of fun will not simply stop; they will just find other avenues to remain as grubby as they are now. The safest place to be on a night out is inside the venue. I have two daughters who work in the music and hospitality industries. They want to keep their jobs and so does everyone in these industries.

I want young people to go out and have a good time. They keep different hours to me, but the basic tenet of friends having a good time remains relevant from generation to generation. We have a nanny state government that wants to punish everyone but not the grubs who throw these punches. State Labor says that it is alcohol that causes this. Yet these laws say it is okay for you can walk out of a nightclub when it closes and into a casino and continue to drink as much as you want, 24 hours a day. How does that make sense? If these laws are the solution, why don't they apply to casinos?

We need to back up our venues, we need to back up the police, we need to target the grubs with real penalties and we need to support the job-creating clubs that offer music and fun for all.

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