Barry Haase (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to draw to the attention of the House an ongoing and almost permanent practice in regional communities across Western Australia. In the Middle East we are trying to establish democracy, across the globe we are trying to stamp out racial practices and yet, when an Indigenous funeral is held in a regional centre in Western Australia, the Western Australia Police, because of either the misguided nature of the police force or their inability to contain law and order in these communities, impose their draconian attitudes upon liquor purveyors in these towns.

It is not acceptable. We must not kowtow to the tiniest group in the community simply because of the tree-huggers’ attitude when it comes to the consumption of alcohol. We have to get back to the basics and have democracy for one and all and freedom to trade. If you buy a business, you must be able to keep your doors open. Because of a simple attitude of one part of the community, you must not have your commercial opportunities to make a profit in a legitimate business restricted.

More and more we are finding that, because authorities have no satisfactory explanation for the consumption of alcohol to excess in our communities, they shut establishments down and simply send the guilty elsewhere to purchase their alcohol at inflated prices at the penalty of the innocent who are denied the opportunity to buy a legal substance.