NSW Police backflip on lockout support

News Corp is reporting that the NSW Police Association is backing changes to the state’s laws, a distinct change in its previous lockout support.

The possible move to change the laws hinges on the guarantee that there will be no resulting upswing in “drunken violence”.

According to the article “Association president Scott Weber said his members would consider supporting some changes — including an extension past the current lockout time of 1.30am”.

The will apparently, however, be no support for allowing closing times in the city past 3am.

“The Last Drinks Coalition which is nurses, doctors and ambulance officers, die in a ditch on trading hours (closing times) but the rest of the arguments have to be evidence based,” Mr Weber told News Corp. “All I have said is we would have a conversation.”

There has been no mention of the other confusing, costly and time-wasting regulations involved in the lockout laws, such as ID scanners and no straight shots after a certain time.

This statement from police comes as St Vincent’s releases a statement backing a national extension of the laws.