Motorcycle riders will now
have to ring a police hotline number if they want to ride in
groups of three or more in peace.
That is the preposterous proposal given to recreational
riders today at an hour-long meeting with Queensland Police
Minister Jack Dempsey and Police Commissioner Ian Stewart
and Taskforce Maxima representatives over the implementation
of the so-called Vicious Lawless Associations
Disestablishment (VLAD) Act .
Motorcycle Riders Association of
Queensland president Chris
Mearns (pictured left) says the hotline idea is “insane”.
“In essence, we riders have to take action to protect
ourselves from the police,” he says.
“Is that where we really want to be?”
Chris says the hotline will be called Ride Safe, but he has
no details of the phone number, when it will be set up and
for how long riders will have to use the number to avoid
being harassed by police with roadside licence checks.
“For ever and a day if you go riding with more than two
people, the safest way to do it if you don’t want any
interference is to ring the hotline … it’s insane,” he says.
Riders were also represented by Eva Cripps of the
Australian Motorcycle Council
and representatives of the
HOG,
Ulysses Club,
Diggers Military Club, Patriots Military Club, Gold Coast
Cruisers, Brothers in Arms Military Club, BMW Owners Club
and the Military Brotherhood.
Chris says they provided five examples of police harassment
of their clubs.
“None of those examples were denied by the Commissioner and
they admitted that it was quite likely to continue,” he
says.
“The only thing they could say was ‘sorry for that’.
“They said there were a lot of inexperienced officers who
haven’t had to deal with this before so those situations are
likely to happen.
“They promised they would try to put things into place to
stop it.”
Eva flew in from Hobart especially for the meeting, but
found the hotline suggestion “unacceptable”.
“As an interim measure it has allayed the fears of some of
the clubs present, but I think it’s a dangerous precedent
that if you don’t ring in you are likely to be targeted,”
she says.
“A motorcycle is a legal form of transport and riders should
be able to go for a ride without having to report to police.
“It’s like getting permission to do something that is
legal.”
Chris says they proposed more meetings with recreational
riders to discuss the VLAD Act.
“If they schedule a meeting, we’ll attend. You wouldn’t walk
away from it.
“You have to keep the lines of communication open, but we
still see major problems with this and god knows how long
this situation will go on.”
Chris says the meeting may have been scheduled to head off
the presentation of a petition tomorrow morning (November 1)
against the VLAD Act.
It will be presented to the Deputy Opposition Leader, Bill
Byrne, who is expected to table it in Parliament.
Click
here
to sign.
The Opposition Leader’s office expressed concern that a vast
number of riders will attend the presentation which could
trigger Parliament security to close the gates and lock us
out, preventing us from lodging the petition.
They say security has been on high alert since the VLAD Act
was passed.
To ensure our petition is lodged, we have promised to keep
rider numbers low.
If you would like to attend, please email me at hinchm@hotmail.com
and we will tell you the time and place for the petition
presentation.
If you would like to be part of a bigger show-of-numbers
ride, Rebel FM is considering planning a major “In-Laws”
ride where you bring one of your in-laws and another ride
has been planned for 10am on Sunday, December 1, where
riders are asked to go to their Parliament in each state as
a show of support.
Queensland laws on bikie gangs and sex offenders will fail: Tony Fitzgerald
- AAP
- October 28, 2013
Tony Fitzgerald QC has warned Queenslanders not to be duped by laws he views as dangerous.
This month, the government gave itself the power to bypass the courts and keep some sex offenders in jail indefinitely.
Parliament also passed new laws that mean judges must now impose two sentences on criminal bikie gang members who commit a serious crime - one for the crime itself and another for being part of a declared criminal gang.
Mr Fitzgerald says Queenslanders should understand the gravity of the laws, which he warns are likely to fail.
New laws will fail, Fitzgerald says
"History teaches us that claims that repressive laws will reduce serious crime are usually hollow and that laws which erode individual freedom and expand a state's power over its citizens are fraught with peril," he writes in an opinion piece in The Courier-Mail.
He says parliament could chose to enact any law.
But parliamentarians "don't have a 'mandate' to give effect to prejudices and ill-informed opinions, ignore ethics and conventions or attack fundamental values such as personal freedom or essential institutions such as the judiciary".
Mr Fitzgerald says both sets of laws are populist and suggests they exploit the fears of less-educated Queenslanders.
He cites Wikipedia's definition for a demagogue, saying it provides an uncomfortable insight into modern politics.
"A demagogue ... is a political leader in a democracy who appeals to the emotions, fears, prejudices, and ignorance of the less-educated citizens in order to gain power and promote political motives."
Mr Fitzgerald is also scathing about how the government has handled concern about its laws.
Last week, Premier Campbell Newman called critics of the sex offender laws "apologists" for pedophiles.
"It is extremely arrogant and socially destructive for politicians to slander citizens who disagree with their 'political solution' or to denigrate the judicial branch of government and its generally conservative judges, who must make sometimes unpopular decisions in accordance with the law and available evidence and their oath of office," Mr Fitzgerald writes.
"And it is incomprehensible that any rational Queenslander who is even remotely aware of the state's recent history could for a moment consider reintroducing political interference into the administration of criminal justice, even to the point of making decisions about incarceration."
Mr Fitzgerald said he wrote the piece as a private citizen who was not aligned with any political party.
"I am a private citizen who has noticed that more problems are solved by thoughtful discussion than political grandstanding and personal abuse," he said.
The premier's office declined to directly address Mr Fitzgerald's criticisms today.
A spokesman for Mr Newman said the government was simply delivering on its plan to make Queensland safe.
Queensland laws on bikie gangs and sex offenders will fail: Tony Fitzgerald
- AAP
- October 28, 2013
Tony Fitzgerald QC has warned Queenslanders not to be duped by laws he views as dangerous.
This month, the government gave itself the power to bypass the courts and keep some sex offenders in jail indefinitely.
Parliament also passed new laws that mean judges must now impose two sentences on criminal bikie gang members who commit a serious crime - one for the crime itself and another for being part of a declared criminal gang.
Mr Fitzgerald says Queenslanders should understand the gravity of the laws, which he warns are likely to fail.
New laws will fail, Fitzgerald says
"History teaches us that claims that repressive laws will reduce serious crime are usually hollow and that laws which erode individual freedom and expand a state's power over its citizens are fraught with peril," he writes in an opinion piece in The Courier-Mail.
He says parliament could chose to enact any law.
But parliamentarians "don't have a 'mandate' to give effect to prejudices and ill-informed opinions, ignore ethics and conventions or attack fundamental values such as personal freedom or essential institutions such as the judiciary".
Mr Fitzgerald says both sets of laws are populist and suggests they exploit the fears of less-educated Queenslanders.
He cites Wikipedia's definition for a demagogue, saying it provides an uncomfortable insight into modern politics.
"A demagogue ... is a political leader in a democracy who appeals to the emotions, fears, prejudices, and ignorance of the less-educated citizens in order to gain power and promote political motives."
Mr Fitzgerald is also scathing about how the government has handled concern about its laws.
Last week, Premier Campbell Newman called critics of the sex offender laws "apologists" for pedophiles.
"It is extremely arrogant and socially destructive for politicians to slander citizens who disagree with their 'political solution' or to denigrate the judicial branch of government and its generally conservative judges, who must make sometimes unpopular decisions in accordance with the law and available evidence and their oath of office," Mr Fitzgerald writes.
"And it is incomprehensible that any rational Queenslander who is even remotely aware of the state's recent history could for a moment consider reintroducing political interference into the administration of criminal justice, even to the point of making decisions about incarceration."
Mr Fitzgerald said he wrote the piece as a private citizen who was not aligned with any political party.
"I am a private citizen who has noticed that more problems are solved by thoughtful discussion than political grandstanding and personal abuse," he said.
The premier's office declined to directly address Mr Fitzgerald's criticisms today.
A spokesman for Mr Newman said the government was simply delivering on its plan to make Queensland safe.
Queensland laws on bikie gangs and sex offenders will fail: Tony Fitzgerald
- AAP
- October 28, 2013
Tony Fitzgerald QC has warned Queenslanders not to be duped by laws he views as dangerous.
This month, the government gave itself the power to bypass the courts and keep some sex offenders in jail indefinitely.
Parliament also passed new laws that mean judges must now impose two sentences on criminal bikie gang members who commit a serious crime - one for the crime itself and another for being part of a declared criminal gang.
Mr Fitzgerald says Queenslanders should understand the gravity of the laws, which he warns are likely to fail.
New laws will fail, Fitzgerald says
"History teaches us that claims that repressive laws will reduce serious crime are usually hollow and that laws which erode individual freedom and expand a state's power over its citizens are fraught with peril," he writes in an opinion piece in The Courier-Mail.
He says parliament could chose to enact any law.
But parliamentarians "don't have a 'mandate' to give effect to prejudices and ill-informed opinions, ignore ethics and conventions or attack fundamental values such as personal freedom or essential institutions such as the judiciary".
Mr Fitzgerald says both sets of laws are populist and suggests they exploit the fears of less-educated Queenslanders.
He cites Wikipedia's definition for a demagogue, saying it provides an uncomfortable insight into modern politics.
"A demagogue ... is a political leader in a democracy who appeals to the emotions, fears, prejudices, and ignorance of the less-educated citizens in order to gain power and promote political motives."
Mr Fitzgerald is also scathing about how the government has handled concern about its laws.
Last week, Premier Campbell Newman called critics of the sex offender laws "apologists" for pedophiles.
"It is extremely arrogant and socially destructive for politicians to slander citizens who disagree with their 'political solution' or to denigrate the judicial branch of government and its generally conservative judges, who must make sometimes unpopular decisions in accordance with the law and available evidence and their oath of office," Mr Fitzgerald writes.
"And it is incomprehensible that any rational Queenslander who is even remotely aware of the state's recent history could for a moment consider reintroducing political interference into the administration of criminal justice, even to the point of making decisions about incarceration."
Mr Fitzgerald said he wrote the piece as a private citizen who was not aligned with any political party.
"I am a private citizen who has noticed that more problems are solved by thoughtful discussion than political grandstanding and personal abuse," he said.
The premier's office declined to directly address Mr Fitzgerald's criticisms today.
A spokesman for Mr Newman said the government was simply delivering on its plan to make Queensland safe.
Just in from the mad as fuck state....