Relaxation of liquor licensing laws on key public holidays has been labelled a "bad idea" by the Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge, according to a report by the Courier Mail in the Herald Sun.
The Courier-Mail revealed on Friday that the Newman Government would seek public comment on a 107-page discussion paper about proposed changes to gambling and liquor licensing laws.
The changes being considered include scrapping pub and gambling bans on Good Friday, Christmas Day and Anzac Day, allowing bottle shops to open earlier. The proposals also include increasing maximum bets on poker machines.
Justin O'Connor from the Queensland Hotels Association said it was about reducing red tape and being more "business friendly" but the Catholic Archbishop was not impressed.
"In an increasingly frantic culture, the erosion of rest days like Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Good Friday seems a bad idea," the Most Reverend Coleridge said.
"In a culture where people already drink too much, extending drinking times on these days doesn't look like a great step forward.
"It's hard to think of any good reason why the proposal to extend liquor trading hours on quiet days makes sense."
FULL STORY Archbishop Coleridge unhappy about relaxing liquor law on public holidays (Herald Sun)