Brumby’s bikie law refusal risks turning Victoria into outlaw bikie haven

The Brumby Government’s refusal to consider enacting anti-bikie laws could make Victoria the bikie crime capital of Australia, Shadow Attorney-General Robert Clark said today.

Ahead of today’s national meeting of Attorneys-General to discuss tackling the surge in bikie gang violence across Australia, Attorney-General Rob Hulls has refused to even consider new laws that would allow criminal bikie gangs to be outlawed.

“Victorians would be horrified that the arrogant Brumby Government is claiming it already has all the answers and won’t even talk about joining other states in a national effort,” Mr Clark said.

“John Brumby has his head in the sand if he thinks that criminal bikie gangs won’t shift their operations to Victoria once they decide Victoria is the weakest link.

The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) has already made it clear that ‘anticipating legislation that will effectively outlaw motorcycle gangs in South Australia, there are indications that some outlaw groups have already relocated to other jurisdictions’ (Source: ACC submission to the Inquiry into the legislative arrangements to outlaw serious and organised crime groups).

As Commonwealth Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, said on ABC Radio ‘it’s important that there’s national consistency, because if you don’t have national consistency, well you’ll simply see these gangs going to the weakest point’ (Source: ABC Radio National Breakfast, 9 April).

And New South Wales Attorney-General John Hatzistergos has said that a jurisdiction that refuses to take part in national action risks becoming an ‘oasis for these criminal organisations to establish themselves with a level of impunity’ (Source: ABC AM Program, 16 April).

“It’s not good enough for Rob Hulls to claim Victoria will target individual criminal behaviour, not gangs, because members of these gangs get their strength by intimidating and coercing people through openly displaying gang colours and insignia and being able to call in other gang members,” Mr Clark said.

“Specific laws that allow criminal gangs to be outlawed are able to disrupt this sort of coercion and allow police to act without having to prove that explicit threats were used.

“Existing laws against organised crime, such as coercive questioning, asset confiscation, consorting and witness protection are all worthwhile, but Victoria should not be lecturing other states that these laws are a comprehensive answer to the bikie problem.

“Victorians, as well as those living in other jurisdictions, should be very angry that the Brumby Government is undermining a strong national crackdown on criminal bikie gangs and turning our state into a soft underbelly for bikie crime,” Mr Clark said.