Cairns News ran a story in March about alleged electoral bribery by the LNP when party members visited remote Cape York Peninsula aboriginal communities soliciting votes prior to the state election by promising to remove alcohol restrictions.
Now four months after the election the Bundy rum syndrome has come home to roost. At recent Cairns and Brisbane meetings, of Cape York council chairmen, community representatives and government Ministers including the new LNP Member for Cook, complaints were made about no action on the alcohol front.
Last week a delegation of community members from Bamaga met with Premier Campbell Newman demanding restrictions be lifted because it was harming the tourist trade and hurting the local economy.
One of the delegates said the meetings about alcohol restrictions, apparently were fruitful, after it was explained to the bureaucrats the people of northernmost communities are somewhat racially different to their southern counterparts.
The delegate believes restrictions, at least for far north communities could be lifted by the end of the year.
The present limits on alcohol sales for lower Peninsula communities apparently would not be altered.
From Robert J Lee