News / Comments / (AUS) Laws restoring freedoms to criminal motorcycle gangs likely to pass despite warnings from CCC, police

LABOR is likely to ram through a Bill to weaken anti-bikie laws, despite warnings from the Crime and Corruption Commission and police that doing so will strengthen gangs’ ranks and reduce public safety.

The Serious and Organised Crime Legislation Amendment Bill will be debated in parliament as early as today, as doubts increase over whether Labor intends to heed submissions made against it.

The parliamentary committee charged with examining the Bill and submissions failed to reach a decision to recommend it to parliament, with Labor and LNP members locked in a stalemate.

With support from the Greens, the Bill is likely to be passed in full parliament.

Chairman and Labor MP Mark Furner used the committee’s report to parliament to dramatically discredit submissions made by Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and Broadbeach councillor Paul Taylor, who are both staunch supporters of existing laws.

While talking up the “inclusiveness of all relevant stakeholders affected by these laws” in the consultation process, he described Cr Tate’s submission as “misleading” and said it contradicted his stance in a media report and then accused Cr Taylor of discouraging Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach Alliances from giving evidence.

The Mayor hit back at the claims yesterday, describing Mr Furner as “the Minister for bikies” and saying Labor was “in the pocket of unionist/bikies criminal gangs”.

“When I received the commentary this morning, the best I could say is he is either ignorant or dumb,” he said.

Cr Tate said Labor would “smashed” at the next election if it softened the laws which saw all outlaw clubhouses on the Coast shut down.

The CCC in its submission said it had intelligence that indicated outlaw motorcycle clubs, including three high-profile gangs, had begun to reactivate on the Coast after Labor was elected in January 2015.

“It is perceived by clubs that there is a softening of the stance against OMCG activity,”

chairman Alan MacSporran QC said.

The submission from the Queensland Police Service said softening the laws would “reduce the capability of the QPS to respond” to organised crime and there would be “a consequential

reduction in public safety, with a flowthrough impact on community confidence in police and

government’’.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/crime-court/laws-restoring-freedoms-to-criminal-motorcycle-gangs-likely-to-pass-despite-warnings-from-ccc-police/news-story/34fcf423030f0f9ac7e86793e1526788