Bikie Laws - What price for Justice?

Good post D

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Diuretic again.

Trouble is this state has always been conservative and unfortunately very back-ward thinking. Look at how many years Joh ruled here, the number of times he breached the doctrine of the "separation of powers" and got away with it.

 

The judges aren't letting the system down at all, they're simply doing their job. Interpreting the law for juries, ensuring trials are conducted fairly and according to the rules and sentencing as per sentencing guidelines isn't letting the system down, it's making sure the system works. That they may be refusing to be bullied by a government pro tem is a good thing.

Newman is acting like a bully, a proto-dictator. Look at the latest leak about Palmer's dummy spit over his railway. It's going to get a damn sight messier in Qld and the losers will be the Qld people who have a govt intent on taking out its critics at the expense of delivering services to Qld.

 

It is worse than that old chap - you do not DARE leak to the media if you are an employee of the state. Someone I know was threatened with instant dismissal because they, albeit foolishly, posted something on social media mentioning a coroners case and how the health system had been ignoring the recommendations

 

No-one said it did, that whole line is just fear mongering of the overly sensitive precious types.

If your not doing anything illegal, or an associate of an organisation determined to be an organized criminal enterprise (of which many OMG's have now been classified under this new legislation) then there is nothing to worry about....

If anything I am seeing more Harleys out and about since this legislation was announced, but the dramatic change is that there has been zero 'colours' blasting past me out there on the streets since the legislation and new approach began. Perhaps people who do not see them don't realize what is going on and over-react to media sensationalism, and those who associate with them misrepresent reality to further their activity... and the rest of everyone is thankful.

 

Get a grip, of course they are trying to do there job, this language is being used to refer to light sentencing. The popular concern with judges is that they are too leniant and not backing up the police efforts with effective sentencing. This is what Newman is referring to about public opinion. There should not be a need to distort what is being discussed to try and pointscore.

 

Public opinion let Barabbas off the hook. You don't want to run a criminal justice system on public opinion. Newman is behaving like a demagogue, this will bring him undone eventually.

 

Yes ,it amazes me all this buddy , buddy with the Police forces that used to have homosexual bashing squads ,in fact and I fear no argument ,it was and is the Police that are the most violent section of the Population.

Thugs in Uniform ,basically.

now as far as special GLLO Police Squad ,No thanks as it lends itself to corruption ,favouritism,and what the NSW Police call , Community Policing ,or one rule for them another for us.

If the gay and lesbian non-community can have police ,then the bikie Community should by their logic ,of Commmunniityy Policing, have Bikie Police for their Community ?

 

Oh! So having the police turn up at your front door and take you in for questioning is not a cause of concern? Many people, like myself could actually lose their professions over things like that.

 

It should apply to the Catholic church.

I'm ambivalent about this situation. Whilst i agree that "this is where it starts/where will it end" the situation probably called for it. Legislation should be flexible enough to adapt to fast-changing times, but they rarely are. My main comfort would be knowing if these laws have a sunset clause. Do they?

 

I suspect the only sunset clause is a change of government. Newman's LNP is now reduced to demagoguery and populism.

Got a letter from Davie just the other day
Said livin in Queensland was not OK

 

I am more concerned with the framing of the laws

and there is this

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-30/qld-bikie-laws-target-club-that-is-not-in-australia/5059202

 

Yeh, the Newman government have farked up on this one!

 

And this is different to all other forms of government in this country, how ?

 

no senate and a minimal opposition

 

They don't need a senate or opposition to think they are gods and bow to popularity politics. This has been the norm for over a decade.

Anyway who's fault is it that Newman has no opposition.

I stated in athread not long after the Queensland election, that what happened was the worst case scenario. Having no one to question a government is like having giving Dennis Ferguson the keys to a child care centre. Nothing good can come of it.

As far as these bikie laws are concerned, I am happy to see it play out. Lets see what lessons people will learn from the whole experience. Positive or negative. The biggest crime is the general publics apathy. Oh..... And the media in general. Sorry, and politicians. Lets not forget lawyers, and um...... Gambling advertising. And then there is the All Blacks, and the Pommy cricket team, and Sebastian Vettel. I think there is more crimes but I am getting cramps in my thumbs.

 

Not forms but approaches. I'll grant you a difference in form in Qld is due to its unicameral parliament though, having a massive majority in a unicameral parliament is probably not good for anyone.

 

Yeah I think that is coming home to everyone - sadly Labor was so decimated that I do not think it will show much of a choice in the next election

 

Unfortunately 'Bikies' are responsible for only 0,6% of Gold Coast Crime. (Their own data)

I am not sure of their motives? They appear on the surface to be in the 'best interest'. I cannot imagine them being abused and them being applied to groups who may be seen to pose a threat to the People or the Government, but history is littered with examples where things like this have gone wrong.

Most disturbing is that 0.6% of Crime data figure. If you asked 100 people in the street what they would like to see... I bet 1 would say 'lock the Bikies up' and a least 10 would say lock people up who commit B&E's. It is pointless to say they commit the B&E's to fund drug habits where the Bikies supply the drugs, because if the Bikies go, someone else will step up to supply the drugs. NOTHING will get rid of drug problems.

Therefore I feel it is a bit of Political muscle flexing by 2 men who are definitely suffering an acute case of 'Small Man Syndrome'. I would bet anything that Campbell Newman himself or one of his businesses have suffered in some way because of Bikies. Yes, the Bikies were 'asking for it' with having that brawl in the restaurant at the Gold Coast... but the laws were sufficient to deal with all the problems happening and there was no need for these new ones.

If you can't enforce current laws, what is the point of making new ones?

 

LOL, simple.... the difference with organised crime is it's size and complexity. Police can operate reactively to crimes with the normal crime, but when criminal groups form the Police are less able to respond effectively. This means they need effective proactive powers.

Previously they were quiet and their size was not a factor for the Police to serve and community responding as required to crime as it occured, obviously some proactive investigations occured when intelligence warranted such .... but fast forward to the last 5 years, the CMG's were becoming both more established and much more active in criminal activity, this activity meant the Police now not only needed to respond and the Police were only able to react with the current laws. The new laws are designed to allow criminal groups to be detected and policed by available resources.