As president of the Parkes Shire Liquor Accord I am totally dismayed at the headline of Friday, April 4, 2014, “Behave or Else”.

We as licensees have been working together with the Parkes Shire Council and the Police and the media to ensure that headlines like this do not occur in your paper.

We as licensees throughout the shire have been very much on board with the strategies proposed by either the Police, Council or Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing (OLGR) and have had a great working relationship.

These are the people who all licensees now work with to ensure a standard protocol throughout the industry which creates an extra burden on small businesses.

 This headline undermines all the great work done over the past years by the Local Liquor Accord.

I note I did not see this headline before the Elvis event.

Instead of talking up the ABBA Festival and the Tullamore Irish Festival, we condemn both of those festivals to the recycle bin and focus on the negative.

 I get on very well with the superintendent and the local officers and I understand that when asked he informed you of the new penalties that are in force and wanted to get the message out there.

But surely that should have been added to the end of a big story detailing the event. 

However, drink driving and anti-social behaviour has been for “yonks” “years” “centuries” not tolerated by anyone in this industry or the Police, as we see in the court reports each week. 

The old common law right to refuse anyone entry or turn anyone out of a licensed premises still exists and this follows on from “Robin Hood days”.

 My suggestion to you is to not scare people away from licensed venues, where history will show you, that they are much safer than at a party at your own home. 

Home parties can become volatile at any minute with no licensee or security to control the situation as we see on TV.

 I submit that the licensees in this shire, need you to spruik that going out in Parkes Shire is not the same as going out in George Street, Sydney, and that most pubs and clubs can control a situation along with the Police if need be.

I really am at a loss that you have appeared to join the anti-drinking lobby who are scaring people away from the hotels and clubs, which by the way, support your paper and the radio station with advertisements.

 In short, I think this front page should be re-arranged to talk up the west’s festivals and not encourage people to sit at home and suck a stubby or glass of wine because of a media scare campaign that makes them feel that if they go out they too will end up in your court reports or accosted. 

This scenario is garbage.

 So to your readers, all I can say is get back to your licensed venue and have a good time instead of worrying about what might be.

This is a great shire and has great venues that provide great beer and food and people should not be scared to go out to any venue in the shire.

David Wilson

President 

Parkes Shire Liquor Accord