Yes, The Aha Is Behind Net Brewhaha
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday January 8, 2009
THE Australian Hotels Association masterminded the "Dontpunishus.com" campaign billed as a grassroots campaign by people angry at the Government's tough new liquor laws, Foster's Brewing and other alcohol industry sources have confirmed.
Last month, days after the Government passed laws targeting 48 hotels, the AHA hosted a meeting to mount a campaign. Attending were publicans and alcohol suppliers such as Foster's, the Herald can reveal.The new laws include 2am lockouts, 10-minute periods each hour after midnight during which people cannot buy drinks and the compulsory use of plastic glasses, in an attempt to reduce drunken violence.A site, nannynathan.com.au, was proposed to attack the Premier, Nathan Rees, over the laws, but dontpunishus.com was eventually created, together with a campaign to send out people to photograph patrons holding up thought bubbles with messages to the Government such as "Hands off my social life."Yesterday, a Foster's spokeswoman, Liz O'Neill, confirmed her company had been approached to help fund the campaign at a meeting with the AHA and publicans last month, but had decided not to. "It was discussed at an industry meeting," Ms O'Neill said."We said, 'No, we won't be participating.' "Ms O'Neill said Foster's took the view that the pubs should fund the campaign as the law changes affected them, not alcohol suppliers. Industry sources have told the Herald that alcohol suppliers Diageo and Lion Nathan were also asked to contribute. The information contradicts the public statements of the Australian Hotels Association's chief executive, Sally Fielke, who told the Herald on Sunday "it wasn't the AHA" who started the campaign and suggested the Herald talk to the Rose Bay pub patron David Hempton, who had claimed responsibility for doing so.Mr Hempton told the Herald on Monday the AHA had paid him a consultant's fee and said he was a friend of several publicans, including Fraser Short. Yesterday, Ms Fielke stood by her earlier comments."I'm telling you on the record what our version is," she said. "It's a grassroots, patron-driven, industry-supported campaign."Ms Fielke said alcohol suppliers had been asked to contribute to another campaign that would be known as the "peaceful venues campaign" and denied the brewing companies had been asked to contribute to the "dontpunishus.com" campaign.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
