An Australian charity group that runs hospitals that treat victims of alcohol-fuelled violence has thrown its support behind a Queensland senator's call for an inquiry into the national issue.
St Vincent's Health Australia, which operates public hospitals in Melbourne and Sydney, says it supports Senator Glen Lazarus' push for a Senate inquiry to look at reducing drunken violence, and wants the major political parties to do the same.
"We believe Australians are ready to have a conversation about the societal changes needed to reduce alcohol's negative effects on our community," St Vincent's Health Australia CEO Toby Hall said.
"They're looking for leadership from their federal and state politicians."
Mr Hall said St Vincent's had a long history of dealing with the entire spectrum of alcohol-related violence and the "horrific" injuries inflicted in nightclub precincts.
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Mr Lazarus, whose own son was hospitalised late last year after being glassed from behind, wants the federal government to develop a national strategy with the states and territories to tackle the issue.
His proposal came hours after fed-up Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart spoke out on Monday against what he called a "deep-seated problem with our culture" following a recent spate of street violence in the state, including the one-punch death of 18-year-old Cole Miller.
"I think as a community we all have to say enough is enough ... I think we've got to put a line in the sand."
