Australia: Banned Drinkers Register plan for WA
AAP
July 30, 2018
The most dangerous drunk drivers and domestic violence abusers may be banned from buying takeaway alcohol under a proposal by the West Australian government, but the opposition says it impinges on civil rights.
Under a planned 12-month trial, anyone who buys alcohol at a Pilbara liquor store will have to show identification, which will be scanned and checked against the Banned Drinkers Register.
If a red light is triggered, the retailer will know the person is on the database and they will be redirected to rehabilitation services.
The trial has been proposed for the communities of Port Hedland, Karratha, Onslow, Tom Price, Newman and Paraburdoo.
If it is successful, the register could be expanded.
Opposition spokesman for Racing and Gaming John McGrath said the Liberals had previously looked at the idea while in government and found it was fraught with problems.
He said rolling out a register across WA would be expensive and impinge on civil rights.
“People who want to drink will always find a way to get the alcohol,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“If they’re on a banned register, I think a lot of these people would find a way.”
McGrath especially expressed concern that domestic violence offenders could put pressure on their partner to by them alcohol.
He said the state government should instead look at refining the federal government’s welfare card scheme.
“I would think that most of the people who are in this category of alcohol-related violence and being susceptible to alcohol would probably be on welfare cards.”
Racing and Gaming minister Paul Papalia said he would consult communities this week but denied the information on the database could be misused.
“I’m trying to identify a better methodology for identifying the people who have the problem and targeting them with the resources of government to change their behaviour, and at the same time remove the onerous obligations on the rest of the community who don’t have an alcohol problem,” he told reporters.