Bike laws needed to stop Tasmania becoming a safe haven for organised crime, State Government says

POLICE intelligence suggests a major bikie gang has made plans to move their club operations from interstate to North West Tasmania, the State Government says.

POLICE believe a major bikie gang has made plans to move their club operations from interstate to North-West Tasmania, the State Government says.

Police Minister Michael Ferguson — without naming the club — said if the Tasmanian Labor Party continued to knock back proposed bikie laws the state would become a safe haven for organised crime.

The Opposition will be briefed on the Prohibited Insignia Bill today by Tasmania Police, Australian Federal Police’s National Anti-Gang Squad and a representative from Queensland Police.

Minister for Police Michael Ferguson says Tasmanian could become a safe haven for organised crime. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

The legislation, banning outlaw motorcycle gang members from displaying their colours in public, will be debated in the Lower House this week.

The State Government has said the Black Uhlans, Outlaws, Rebels, Devil’s Henchmen and Bandidos would be the first clubs targeted under the laws.

The five clubs used their colours to “threaten, intimidate and incite fear”, Mr Ferguson said. “They are not law abiding groups like the majority of bike riders.”

“In fact, they are serious organised criminal groups involved in drug importation and distribution, murder, rape, extortion, debt collecting and firearms offences.

“As an example of the risk for Tasmanians, police intelligence indicates that senior leadership of one of the five organised gangs intends to relocate their operations from interstate to North West Tasmania. On this basis, the Government urgently calls on the Labor Party to be bipartisan, listen to their briefing and vote for this legislation in Parliament.”

Deputy Labor leader Michelle O’Byrne said the party was not open to making amendments to the Bill, telling the Government to go back to the drawing board and draft comprehensive organised crime legislation.

“The legislation doesn’t deal with organised crime, but it does put a frightening amount of power in the hands of Michael Ferguson,” she said.

“The legislation in its current form simply cannot be supported, the Government knew that when they wrote it.

“We need them to stop playing games, we need them to be a government and do the work to bring decent legislation before the House that can be supported by the Opposition and be successfully transferred through the Upper House.”

Mr Ferguson said Labor was fighting for the “rights” of criminals rather than victims, against the advice of Tasmania Police and the Police Association of Tasmania.

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