John Thorpe AM holds a press conference to close floodgates

After a long absence, John Thorpe AM is back in the headlines. Here are a few quotes from yesterdays paper:

"where I want you to get your head around it, is alcohol is a drug"...

..."It's a drug that does have an affect on alcohol-related crime. Go and talk to [crime statistician] Dr [Don] Weatherburn, he'll tell you all about [it]."

"Let me say the floodgates are now open. We have massive problems now with alcohol-related crime".

Hang on - If the floodgates are now open, that rather inconveniently turns the spotlight onto NSW hotels.  To be honest, we're not really sure what Mr Thorpe AM is trying to get across here, but then again we have been a bit unsure about the effectiveness of his approach before.

Now keen to close any open floodgates in NSW, and with the findings of the statutory review of  the Gaming Machines Act 2001 due next week, John Thorpe AM may well be pressing on with his current strategy of closing floodgates, and be working hard behind the scenes to see this next floodgate removed from the Gaming Machines Act.

As the Liquor Bill 2007 is yet to be passed, new liquor licenses will not be available until the second half of 2008 at the earliest, and if  any political party delays the Bill past the next fortnight, new licenses probably won't be available until 2009.