In comparison, 60.5 per cent of Australians believed it made sense, meaning the hot button issue of lock-out laws may have swayed opinions in the Sunshine State. It showed 32.2 per cent of Queenslanders were not in favour of closing nightclubs earlier to tackle alcohol-related violence, compared to 27.8 per cent across Australia. The survey featured 534 Queenslanders who answered the question out of 2600 Australians who took part in the project. On Wednesday night, politicians were debating the government's Liquor Act and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. Venues in Safe Night Precincts, such as Fortitude Valley, still need to stop service of alcohol at 3am, with ID scanners mandatory for venues trading past midnight from July, and venues outside the precinct will stop serving drinks at 2am.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said by stopping drinks at 2am and 3am, the government had already implemented the most effective tool for reducing alcohol-fuelled violence. Ms D'Ath said an interim report into the measures rolled out so far showed enforcing the lockout would not have a significant effect on alcohol-fuelled violence trends in Queensland. "After careful consideration... the government has decided not to implement the 1am lockout provisions. We want to allow the 3am trading laws an opportunity to work," she said. Ms D'Ath said bars had been using the special permits to extend trading until 5am on a "business as usual" basis. And she said there was no guarantee venues would be granted the maximum number of permits under the new system.

Opposition Industrial Relations spokesman Jarrod Bleijie said the LNP voted against the lockout laws when they were included in Labor's previous bill. "It has taken them two years to realise we were right and they were wrong," Mr Bleijie said. "On the eleventh hour they then changed the lockouts and then guess what they don't apply in the state anymore." Ms D'Ath said she would also move an amendment during the debate to the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990 to establish Easter Sunday as an open trading day for all non-exempt (large) shops in south-east Queensland. On Wednesday, the government also introduced a bill to change retail trading hours.

The debate on the liquor bill is expected to continue on Thursday. For independent news coverage, be sure to follow our Facebook feed.