LEICHHARDT MP Warren Entsch has spoken out against the proposed 1am nightclub lockout in Cairns, saying the move will penalise well-run businesses and threaten jobs.
He has also urged Cairns MP Rob Pyne to make time to sit down with business, and to head out with the Cairns Street Chaplains one Saturday night, to see where the real issues lie.
“This proposal will have a major impact on businesses, and doesn’t acknowledge the fact that many of them have invested in training for staff and have established procedures to make sure that any violence is dealt with quickly and effectively,” Mr Entsch said.
“As a tourist town, there’s also an expectation that the nightlife will extend past 1am.
“I know Rob Pyne doesn’t like the so-called ‘big end of town’ but it’s these businesses that employ a lot of people.
“They’ve done it tough over many years without government making it harder for them now, so I’d strongly urge him to talk to these businesses and reconsider his position.”
Mr Entsch warned Mr Pyne about making policy decisions from an uninformed perspective, when those decisions would have a significant negative impact, fail to deal with the underlying issues and would only create another problem by increasing unemployment.
“It’s not to say that there aren’t things that can be done, but he should take the time like I did – to go out with Chaplain Carol Christopher and the Cairns Street Chaplains,” Mr Entsch said.
“Then, he could see the issues for himself and identify the areas where help is really needed, rather than being blinded by his own ideology.”
