The ACT government has moved to ban the supply of alcohol to young people under 18, unless by a parent or guardian, or with the express permission of a parent or guardian.
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The ban looks set to impact teenage parties, with strict rules covering alcohol for children, even under parental supervision.
The proposed law, introduced in the ACT Parliament last week, only allows parents to give children alcohol at home, or at another private place, if it's done responsibly – a judgement call based on the age of the young person, whether they're also consuming food, how much supervision is involved, the time of day and the amount of alcohol, and the kind of alcohol they are drinking.
It makes it clear that giving alcohol to an intoxicated young person is not responsible.
The bill was introduced on Thursday by Attorney-General Simon Corbell, who said it was the first stage in a round of reforms to liquor laws.
There was much evidence about the dangers of teenage drinking, including its impact on brain development, he said.
The government pointed to research showing the average age at which young people tried alcohol in 2013 was 15.7 years old. Underage drinkers were more likely to drink at private parties, and mainly sourced their alcohol from a friend, it said.
Of people aged 12 or over, nearly half had their first glass of alcohol supplied by a friend. One-quarter had their first glass supplied by a parent.
The bill puts imposes a fine of $3000 for supplying alcohol to under-18s.
But the government says it would only be an offence for parents to supply alcohol to their children "if it was not consistent with responsible supervision".
"The offences are not designed to restrict the practice within Australian society where some parents choose to permit the occasional consumption of limited amounts of alcohol, under supervision within the family environment", Mr Corbell said.
The bill also allows the chief police officer to disclose criminal intelligence to the commissioner for fair trading when the commissioner is deciding whether someone should be allowed to hold a liquor licence. The information can be shared without the person knowing. The commissioner can also request information about people suspected of being in a position to influence someone who holds a liquor licence.
The government says the liquor industry is an attractive target for criminal infiltration.
"Elements of the liquor industry, like a number of other industries, such as the security industry, have been susceptible to providing an opportunity to conduct illegal activity such as drug dealing and money laundering," a statement attached to the Bill says.
If the commissioner refused to grant a licence on the basis of the criminal intelligence he or she receives, the only reason he or she can give for the decision is "public interest".
