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.
Crack ( guffaw!)NSW police squad from Strike Force Raptor sent north to keep Queensland bikies from crossing the border
- The Daily Telegraph
- October 28, 2013
At least 10 officers from the elite Strike Force Raptor have been sent to deliver a stern message: Keep out of NSW.
The officers have orders to make it clear to the outlaw motorcycle gangs not to bother crossing the border to flee Queensland's new anti-bikie laws.
Queensland bikies go way west to escape crackdown
Police are getting on the front foot in their battle to crack down on outlaw motorcycle gangs.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey will be meeting with his interstate counterparts in coming weeks to discuss how they can cooperate on the crackdown.
"Queensland is leading the fight against criminal gangs," a spokeswoman for Mr Dempsey said.
"The Minister for Police and Community Safety will meet with other state ministers shortly to discuss a national approach to tackling criminal gangs."
What do you think of the crackdown on bikies? Leave a comment below
But they have rejected claims criminals are fleeing the Gold Coast for Sydney because of the Newman Government's highly publicised "get tough" stance.
"There is nothing we have seen that suggests the bikies problem is being displaced to NSW,'' gang squad boss Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsiagiannis said.
"We have a number of police there monitoring the activities of the gangs and their operations.
"The Finks have been spoken to and we are sure they are not coming down here.''
The officers deployed to Tweed Heads are from Strike Force Raptor, a unit within the gangs squad established to "get in the faces" of bikies and disrupt illegal activities.
"The officers will be sending the word to the office bearers of the groups directly they are not wanted," Supt Katsiagiannis said.
"We will not tolerate any gangs coming into this state for the purposes of committing crime.
"They are also there to work with the local police in Tweed as well as Queensland Police from Strike Force Maxima, set up by to tackle the problems on the Gold Coast.''
Senior NSW detectives have also flown north to advise their counterparts on tactics and intelligence.
"It is a three-phase approach," Supt Katsiagiannis said. "We have intelligence gathering, then investigations and the frontline, which is Raptor.
"All three are vital to the fight against these groups.
NSW police radically changed their approach to bikies after a brawl between the Hells Angels and Comancheros at Sydney Airport in 2009.
"The men and women in this squad don't fear these guys at all. They go out every day and investigate their activities, arrest them in face to face situations or are involved in covert operations with one aim: to stop their criminal activity."
He said the squad was also well aware of the new threat presented by the arrival from the US of one of the world's most violent gangs, the Mongols, on the Gold Coast.
Mongol invasion: Inside the most powerful bikie gang in Australia
Supt Katsiagiannis said the approach of harassing members, associates and their families linked to their criminal enterprises has severely disrupted and angered bikie hierarchy.
A number of gang squad officers, including those attached to Raptor, have received threats, although police have refused to elaborate on specifics.
Despite the obvious dangers, the squad is one of the most keenly sought by officers.
"They do an outstanding job under difficult and dangerous circumstances."
"We have already spoken to our overseas counterparts and informed Federal Police and Customs about the possibility they may have members attempting to visit Australia," Supt Katsiagiannis said.
"They will be detained at the airport and we will use every lawful avenue available to prevent them from entering the country.''
The senior officer said he knew of two chapters of the Finks recently patching over to the Mongols.
Queensland has led the Australia-wide fight against organised crime gangs with a raft of new laws targeting bikies and their associates.