Ms Simpson said: “It’s time to challenge the culture that tolerates binge drinking and losing control and to take a stand against behaviour that disrespects others and threatens their safety.”
Expressing her condolences to the families of Wayne Dover and Bruce Steensen, she said their tragic deaths had shocked and angered the normally peaceful Sunshine Coast community.
“There is a community-wide resolve to stop the violence and I believe support for tougher laws for offenders as well as a need for a culture change about the abuse of alcohol and drugs in our society,” she said.
In her statement, Ms Simpson acknowledged the Premier’s commitment to seek community feedback on this issue prior to releasing a comprehensive package of reforms to address the issue of alcohol-fuelled violence in Queensland later this month.
“More than 12,000 Queenslanders participated in the Government’s survey with more than 1000 Sunshine Coast residents responding,” Ms Simpson said.
In addition, more than 8000 people viewed a live on-line forum hosted by Ms Simpson on her Facebook page, attracting more than 100 comments.
“Already people are speaking up with answers and a commitment to action,” she said.
Ms Simpson said the responses to the Facebook forum were in line with the State Government survey results including a call for tougher penalties for offenders, ID scanning into licensed venues and banning entry for those with a history of violence and better policing of Responsible Service of Alcohol in licenced venues.
Ms Simpson said that it was encouraging to see a grass roots response to this issue with groups already working in schools and the community to spread this anti-violence message.
“I am keen to work with community groups as we share the leadership on this complex problem and find comprehensive solutions,” Ms Simpson said.