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Anti-bikie Bill rushed through Parliament

imagesQueensland now claims to have the toughest anti-bikie laws in the world.
The Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Bill 2013 was successfully rushed through Parliament and passed at 2.50 this morning. That’s less than 12 hours after it was introduced.
The purposes of the Bill (now an Act) are to “disestablish” declared outlaw motorcycle clubs by imposing extra jail time for office-bearing bikies, extended times before being eligible for parole and encouraging “snitches”.
The Act must be reviewed in three years.
So what happens now?
Since these laws constitute a basic denial of human justice they are bound to be contested actively in the courts, tying up the legal system for some years. The outlaw gangs certainly have the money to afford expensive and protracted legal representation.
Other states have tried similar crackdowns and had them overturned in the High Court.
Now it’s Queensland’s turn to go through the lengthy and expensive process.
The Government has also introduced the Tattoo Parlours Bill and the Criminal Law Criminal Gangs Destruction Amendment Bill that provide an extra 18 months’ jail for any member of a criminal motorcycle gang found to own or operate a tattoo parlour, and up to seven years jail for those members who gather in groups.
However, these new laws are all about punitive measures when the bikies are arrested. It doesn’t give the police any more power, intelligence, assistance or funding to actually investigate or arrest the bikies.
The only action taken to make criminal life more difficult comes under the Criminal Law (Criminal Gangs Disruption) Amendment Bill which has declared 26 clubs as criminal organisations. (Declared gangs and clubhouses are listed below.)
Members are banned from attending their clubhouses and hanging out in groups of three or more. They are also banned from promoting or recruiting for their clubs.
So what will happen is the outlaw gangs will take off their colours, go underground, move their meeting places, disguise themselves and, if cornered, fight it out rather than going to jail for extended periods.
There may even be more blood on the streets than there is now.
Certainly criminal bikies are not going to roll over and say, “ok, I’ll stop being naughty because you are going to stand me in the naughty corner for too long”.
Meanwhile, the demonising of leather-clad riders on big, black motorcycles will flow through to the general, law-abiding motorcycle community.
Those law-abiding recreational motorcycle riders are going to have to put up with road rage, misguided community anger and police harassment as the boys in blue try to sort the good riders from the bad bikies.
At present, many riders don’t see that they will be inconvenienced at all. That’s why we still only have 3597 signatures on our online petition (click here to sign) and a few hundred on circulated paper petitions.
I hope law-abiding riders are not harassed and otherwise inconvenienced.
However, there are already enough riders complaining about road rage and police harassment that indicates my hopes may be in vain.
Gangs declared criminal organisations: Bandidos, Black Uhlans, Coffin Cheaters, Comancheros, Finks, Fourth Reich, Gladiators, Gypsy Jokers, Hells Angels, Highway 61, Iron Horsemen, Life and Death, Lone Wolf, Mobshitters, Mongols, Muslim Brotherhood Movement, Nomads, Notorious, Odins Warriors, Outcasts, Outlaws, Phoenix, Rebels, Red Devils, Renegades and Scorpions.
Clubhouses/ businesses where gathering is now illegal: 11 Frodsham Street, Albion; shop 5/1 Thorsborne Street, Beenleigh; 6 Enterprise Street, Boyne Island; shed 14/136 Aumuller Street, Bungalow; 200 Hartley Street, Bungalow;
1/16 Ern Harley Drive, Burleigh Heads; 34 Lemana Lane, Burleigh Heads; unit 3/7 Lear Jet Drive, Caboolture; 104 Spence Street, Cairns; unit 3/37 Caloundra Road, Caloundra West; shed 1/5 Garema Street, Cannonvale; shed 4/11 Ryecroft Street, Carrara; 31 Selhurst Street, Coopers Plains; unit 7/12 Hayter Street, Currumbin Waters; unit 5/17 Cottonview Street, Emerald; 11 Greer Lane, Eumundi; shed 3/85 Hanson Road, Gladstone; unit 3/31 Tradelink Drive, Hillcrest; unit 5/29 Pound Street, Kingaroy; 15–17 Avian Street, Kunda Park; unit 5/1 Chain Street, Mackay; 4 Keats Street, Mackay; unit 4/55 Cronulla Avenue, Mermaid Beach; 4 Ellen Street, Moorooka; 31 Unwin Street, Moorooka; 1 Zena Street, Mt Isa; unit 2/12 Lawrence Drive, Nerang; unit 5/144 Eumundi Noosa Road, Noosaville; 2 Millchester Road, Queenton; 26252 Peak Downs Highway, Racecourse; shed 12/13 Turley Street, Raceview; 36 East Lane, Rockhampton; unit 1/26 Rowland Street, Slacks Creek; unit 2/8 Proprietary Drive, Tingalpa; shed 4/14 Civil Court, Toowoomba; 209 James Street, Toowoomba; units 3 and 4/82 Leyland Street, Townsville; 29 Matheson Street, Virginia; 81 Ingham Road, West End; and 391 Montague Road, West End.

  1. These laws are very clearly constitutionally invalid and surely the LNP knows that. However, that point has not been mentioned by the Courier Mail who seems to have elected itself the cheer squad for the LNP government. What next, a new Special Branch?

  2. It is indicative of the apathy and lack of cohesion of motorcycle riders that your petition has stalled at under 4000 signatures, Mark. It appears that the only thing we have in common is that we ride bikes. Full stop. This reflects broader community attitudes unfortunately, where short term personal gain assumes precedence over long term pain. This is evidenced by the misguided thought bubble that we can blithely continue without some type of carbon emissions scheme. What the hell happened to the greater good? The age of narcissism and look at moi is well and truly entrenched in the national and international psyche. Time to pull together folks. No time to lie down and be steamrolled by a one party state with a clear agenda. Sign up!

  3. This is the Definition in the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Bill 2013
    Definitions
    In this Act—
    association means any of the following—
    (a) a corporation;
    (b) an unincorporated association;
    (c) a club or league;
    (d) any other group of 3 or more persons by whatever name called, whether associated formally or informally and whether the group is legal or illegal.

    Can anyone see this limited to Patch Motorcycle clubs?

    1. I rum QMRF ..Queensland Motorcycle Riders Forum, we have up to a couple dozen on some rides, don’t have a clubhouse or patches, just tshirts with our logo on it, does that make us “illegal ” ???

  4. Meaning of participant
    For this Act, a person is a participant in the affairs of an association if the person—
    (a) (whether by words or conduct, or in any other way) asserts, declares or advertises his or her membership of, or association with, the association; or
    (b) (whether by words or conduct, or in any other way) seeks to be a member of, or to be associated with, the association; or
    (c) has attended more than 1 meeting or gathering of persons who participate in the affairs of the association in any way; or
    (d) has taken part on any 1 or more occasions in the affairs of the association in any other way.

  5. So are they going to ban churches from meeting too because I feel offended and threatened by them???

  6. Lets face it. It is easy to dislike a group of arrogant and sometimes violent individuals. BUT these new laws worry the hell out of me. Basic common law rights seem to have been trampled. The list of now “criminal” organisations does not give us any reasoning or justifications for declaring them “criminal” other than the QLD govt is saying “trust” us. Well past experience indicates that trusting politicians is a fools game. The lack of legal consultation and the apparent enthusiasm of the police worry me further. I did not sign up to be a citizen in the first fascist Australian state.
    I like others am at a loss as to what I can do about what I see is a looming disaster.

  7. This is just one step towards taking our rights away , we as a nation need to stand up to these corrupt politicians and demand that they are accountable with our money. They are the criminal organisation.

  8. How did our basic human rights get taken away this easily? These laws will affect everyone, not just bike clubs. Whey will even affect sports clubs, church groups etc. Who are those humans to tell other humans we are not allowed to hang out in groups? That is absurd!! We are all born equal. I am not being told I am “not allowed” to be around an association. They are trying to control everyone. WELL, NO!!! I will fight this.

  9. i am just getting a feeling of deja vu having been riding from the late sixties until now on american bikes
    things have really not changed much i was continually pulled over through the seventies, and after milleperra
    for a while there i was averaging twice a day. on the side of the road getting warrant checks. Back then there were no computers in the cars.
    the cops are not stupid, they know who you are before they even turn on the siren.If you are pulled over and harassed
    it is NOT because they think you may be an outlaw its just because you are riding a motorcycle.these laws just make it
    easier

  10. I’m wondering how many people have actually read the legislation yet? There is no mention of motorcycles and the wording says *any* group of three or more persons can be an association, regardless if the gathering is legal or illegal. I quote “association means any of the following— (d) any other group of 3 or more persons by whatever name called, whether associated formally or informally and whether the group is legal or illegal.” It seems the general public has just as much to fear from this legislation as outlaw and recreational riders do. This legislation is so vaguely worded they will have powers to arrest anyone they want for pretty much any reason. It is not right but of course the general media don’t seem to have picked up on this or maybe it’s not sensational enough… or maybe they’ve been told not to publicise it? This should have every single person in Queensland up in arms no matter who they are! I have signed the petition and am concerned about the lack of numbers reported as signing it…

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