BERL accepts Treasury apology

It has been reported that Treasury has made some critical comments about our report into the Costs of Harmful Alcohol and Other Drugs Use.

BERL Managing Director Kel Sanderson says that he is pleased to accept an apology from the Treasury with respect to these criticisms.

The letter received from Treasury Deputy Secretary, Dr Peter Bushnell, on Friday 03 July states:

“My comments were in response to second hand information and as a result I made criticisms of the BERL research that, with hindsight, I would not have otherwise made.

I accept that the BERL research is not a full cost/benefit study and regret that the media coverage didn’t adequately convey that BERL worked to a specific brief to research only the costs of harmful alcohol and other drug use.

I recognise that this new media attention has placed BERL in a difficult position and apologise for the part that my reported comments played in this situation.”

A copy of the full letter can be viewed here.