South Australia’s Labor government says anti-bikie laws have made state safer

AS Queensland moves to dismantle anti-bikie legislation another state says similar laws there have reduced the visibility of criminal gangs and boosted public safety.

Members of the Finks motocycle gang take off on their national run from their Melbourne headquarters, Saturday, March 9, 2013. (AAP Image/Joe Castro) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

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SOUTH Australia’s Labor Attorney-General John Rau has declared his state’s adoption of Queensland’s anti-bikie laws has dramatically reduced the visibility of criminal gangs and boosted public safety.

The Palaszczuk Government this week announced it would dismantle the anti-association laws introduced as part of the former Newman government’s VLAD laws and replace them with NSW-style anti-consorting laws.

But South Australia’s Labor government, which adopted similar laws in a bid to crack down on criminal bikie gangs, believes the legislation has made a marked difference.

South Australian Attorney-General John Rau said police in the state were adamant the laws had resulted in a reduction in organised crime-related incidents.

“South Australia introduced anti-association laws to protect the rights of law abiding citizens over the individual rights of members of declared criminal organisations,” he said.

“Since they have come into effect in South Australia, police advise that there has been a dramatic decrease in both the visibility and the number of incidents involving members of organised criminal groups.

“In other words: our community is a safer place thanks to these laws.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was this week unable to say whether her Government’s proposal would be able to prevent bikies from gathering in large groups if they did not have convictions and were not wearing club colours.

Acting Premier Jackie Trad yesterday said the Government could not ignore advice contained in this week’s taskforce report that the VLAD laws were “at significant risk of being overturned in the High Court”.

“We have to listen to the experts that we pulled together in relation to this taskforce to review the VLAD laws,” she said.

Meanwhile, Queensland’s LNP Opposition yesterday ramped up attacks on Speaker Peter Wellington, calling on him to abstain from voting on, or debating, any proposed new organised crime laws.

Acting Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek wrote to Mr Wellington with the request, while Opposition police spokesman Jarrod Bleijie suggested that the Member for Nicklin may need to consider resigning.

The LNP has been criticising Mr Wellington after a former Rebels sergeant-at-arms who assisted with his election campaign on the Sunshine Coast, Mike Smith, was sentenced for drug trafficking.