Tourism leader slams alcohol crackdown

The current campaign to crack down on alcohol and binge drinking is demonising the
"lubricant" of the tourism sector, an industry leader says.
Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Matt Hingerty said social
commentary on the issue of alcohol consumption was a worrying trend.
"The hysterical demonising of alcohol by some self-appointed moral guardians is
getting out of hand," Mr Hingerty told a national tourism conference in Darwin on
Thursday.
"One of the liberties of our customers is under intense public scrutiny."
Mr Hingerty said the tourism industry must prevent the responsible service and
consumption of alcohol from being tainted, calling alcohol the "lubricant" of the
sector.
"Can you imagine a future without Adelaide's magnificent bluestone pubs, can you
imagine a future without Victoria's fantastic bar culture?" he said.
"Can you imagine the Queenslanders turning up to Lang Park for State of Origin after
a fortifying milkshake or two?"
Drinkers should not feel like criminals if they ordered a third drink and nor should
the supplier for serving them, Mr Hingerty said.
His comments come amid a new push by the federal government to resurrect its tax
hike on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, known as alcopops, as part of a push to
curb binge drinking, particularly among the young.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said problem drinking is "getting out of hand" and the
government will in May introduce two new bills to validate its tax hike.
Family First's Steve Fielding sided with the opposition to defeat the government's
first alcopops bill in March.
Senator Fielding has said he won't support the government's second push unless the
government agrees to ban alcohol advertising during daytime sports telecasts -
something federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says she won't agree to.
The opposition says it's willing to negotiate with the government on measures to
reduce binge drinking, but it won't support the alcopops tax hike.