Labor plan would see organised crime as the focus of bikie crackdown

Media Release.

The CMC would be split to reflect its dual purposes, with a separate Commission established to stamp out gang-related and organised crime in Queensland under a plan launched today by the State Opposition.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said while the Newman government’s proposals over gang-related crime were piecemeal and unfocused, Labor’s proposal cast the net wider, targeting the sophisticated networks that underpin gang activities.

“Gangs like bikies have developed into sophisticated national and international networks of criminals and that requires a sophisticated national and international investigative body with wide-ranging powers,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“In order to attack these gangs and get to the core of organised crime, you must attack the heart of their business – not only the criminal activities which enable them to make money but the places that enable them to launder their money."

“The business of gangs has evolved into a highly sophisticated operation where legitimate businesses – gymnasiums, restaurants, takeaway shops, nightclubs, massage parlours – are used as a front for laundering."

“That’s specifically where the Newman government has got it wrong. To target bikies only is achieving half a result - you must also target the professionals who aid and abet gangs such as their lawyers and accountants and financial advisers.”

Ms Palaszczuk said under Labor’s plan the CMC would be divided into two distinct crime and corruption watchdogs to be named the Corruption and Misconduct Commission (CMC) and the Crime Investigation Commission (CIC).

She said the CIC would have a clear focus on organised crime and gang-related crime

“The CIC would be comprised of two divisions targeting Serious Crime and Organised Crime and would be given all the powers needed to work on both of those fronts.”

Ms Palaszczuk said since being elected the Newman Government has cut 50 staff from the Crime and Misconduct Commission and reduced funding by $1 million – at the same time increasing the organisation’s workload.

She said the Newman government had also failed to meet its commitment to increase police numbers in key areas such as the Gold Coast where 100 officers had been promised but only two thirds of those delivered.

“In addition, under the Newman government we have seen a generation of expertise disappear with redundancies in the police service’s upper ranks."

“The LNP has repeatedly refused to adequately resource the criminal confiscation task of the current CMC and there is simply no excuse for taking money out of this organisation when you consider that for every dollar the CMC spends recovering proceeds of crime, it recoups $1.45.”

Additionally, Ms Palaszczuk said Labor would propose to:

• Create new offences of Intimidating Police Officers and Obtaining Personal Information About Police Officers
• Require larger groups of motorcycle riders to apply for a permit – similar to those required by protestors – when taking part in bikie runs through neighbourhoods
• Support legislation that enables police to require people to remove facial coverings for official identification purposes

Ms Palaszczuk said the aim of the Labor proposal was two-fold – to crack down on illicit gang activities like drug manufacturing and money laundering and improve public safety.

“Queenslanders are shocked and frightened by gang activity and we have seen that twice in the past week."

“People living on and visiting such areas as the Gold Coast need to be confident they can eat in restaurants and walk the streets at night without being in danger."

“That requires wide-ranging solutions - not the half measures we’ve seen by a government this week that is more concerned with ripping away resources designed to fight this element of our society than getting serious on organised crime.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the Opposition was determined to work with the government to ensure its moves to curb organised criminal activity were not doomed to failure. She asked the government to reconsider its decision not to attend the Opposition’s pending crime summit on the Gold Coast.

She said she had spoken to Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney requesting a briefing on the government’s proposed legislation and would urge that thorough consultation took place before new laws were rushed through the Parliament.

“This is important legislation for one of the biggest crime problems of a generation and it must be handled not only in a thorough but a steady manner."

“It requires consultation with groups like the Law Society, the Police Service and the CMC itself if it is to succeed.”