Minister takes shot at $1-drink specials

Labour Minister Mark Parent is hoping a Halifax bar will voluntarily stop selling $1 drinks, though it's not breaking any rules.

The Palace nightclub appears to be advertising cheap drink specials through Facebook. A group on the popular website advertises the bar as the only place in Halifax to get drinks for $1.

Parent said Monday he wishes the Palace would follow the lead of the Dome, a barthatdropped its $1-a-drink special after temporarily losing its licence following a pre-Christmas brawl.

"I would hope that all the bar owners would practice responsibly because it reflects on everybody when there's problems, and that was certainly the case with the Dome," said Parent, whose department regulates how bars price their drinks and advertise.

"We're happy to see the Dome come forward, and that sort of pressure from within the industry I am sure is being put right now on the Palace."

No one from the Palace was available for comment Monday.

Parent said the availability of cheap drinks contributes to binge drinking and over consumption, which leads to other problems. However, he added, bar hours and staff training are other factors.

Bars in Nova Scotia are only prohibited from selling alcohol below cost, which is why someestablishments can sell drinks for only$1, Parent said.

Butthe ministersuggested that may change.

"I don't want to get into a position where I am changing the price of drinks depending upon the price of alcohol. I'd like some sort of formula that would be constant,"Parent said.

Hesaid a committee will examine the regulations to ensure they aren't contributing to the problem of over consumption.

Grafton Connor Group, the owner of the Dome, agreed to end the sale of $1 drinks and beef up security as a condition of getting its licence back.

On Christmas Eve,38 people were arrestedafter a large brawl that started inside the sprawling complex spilled onto the street.