Premier Baird responds to lock-out laws critics

Premier Mike Baird released a statement via social media defending his government's lock-out laws, saying Sydney is safer than ever.

Mr Baird has been an advocate for this policy since it started.

Mr Baird has been an advocate for this policy since it started. Source: AAP

The Premier used Facebook to respond to critics who claimed pubs and clubs had suffered due to the laws, implemented in 2014.

He said alcohol-related assaults had decreased by 42.2 per cent in the CBD since the laws were introduced.

"And they’re down by over 60 per cent in Kings Cross," he said.

"But… didn’t we achieve this by shutting down the whole city and killing its nightlife?

"Well, one last statistic: the number of small bars in Sydney has more than doubled in the same time period."
"Doctors right across the city are now telling us that they are seeing far less emergency room presentations on the weekends."
See the full post below.


Mr Baird also addressed complaints about "inconveniences" attributed to bottle shop opening hours.

"I understand that this presents an inconvenience. Some say this makes us an international embarrassment," he said.

"Except, assaults are down by 42.2 per cent...And there is nothing embarrassing about that.

"From the outset, these laws have been about fixing a serious problem. Violence had spiralled out of control, people were literally being punched to death in the city, and there were city streets too dangerous to stroll down on a Friday night. The community was rightly outraged.

"I was personally outraged."

He said the laws were introduced to eliminate "drinking ghettos" by redistributing the nightlife across the city.

"Now, some have suggested these laws are really about moralising. They are right. These laws are about the moral obligation we have to protect innocent people from drunken violence," he said.
"Doctors right across the city are now telling us that they are seeing far less emergency room presentations on the weekends."

He finished with three words: "Long Live Sydney."

More than 1500 comments have been made about the post, many of them continuing to criticise the laws, including one by Derek Brown.

"Start listening to the people Mike and accept its gone way too far and needs urgent rebalancing," Mr Brown said.


"Apply it to the casino if you truly believe its the answer."

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2 min read
Published 9 February 2016 12:45pm
Updated 9 February 2016 2:10pm
Source: SBS World News

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