Labor charter fails to protect Victorians from violent bikies

Reports that Victoria Police were concerned they could not join a national campaign against criminal motorcycle gangs because it might violate bikies’ human rights show once again that Rob Hulls’ so-called Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities is undermining Victorians’ rights instead of protecting them.

“It’s appalling that Victoria Police are being forced to fight crime with one arm tied behind their back because Labor insisted on passing this absurd law that puts the rights of criminals ahead of the rights of law-abiding citizens,” Shadow Attorney-General Robert Clark said today.

“If Victoria is flanked by states that are pushing bikie gangs out, bikies will come here and police are saying that is already occurring,” Mr Clark said.
“The nation is now ready to go to war with bikie gangs, and if Victoria refuses to join the fight then it is obvious that Victoria risks becoming the bikie capital of Australia.

“Claims by Rob Hulls that he didn’t ‘intend’ his charter to block campaigns like this make no difference – once the law has been passed, it’s up to a court or tribunal to decide on its application.

“Labor has taken control away from the community through Parliament and government and put vital anti-crime campaigns at the mercy of a sweeping and open-ended charter and its interpretation by a judge or VCAT member.

“It’s too late now for Rob Hulls to say he really didn’t mean it, because the damage has been done and law-abiding Victorians are paying the price for his folly.

“Rob Hulls has spent millions of dollars of taxpayers’ funds telling public authorities that they must obey his charter, and now hard-working police must give priority to obeying his stupid and ill-considered law ahead of doing their job of protecting the public from criminal gangs.

“Police won’t risk breaching the charter if legal advice states that joining the national campaign against criminal gangs would breach the charter, and if they defied the charter Rob Hulls would be one of the first to publicly attack them.

“The charter deems that human rights include freedom of association and the right for people not to have their reputations unlawfully attacked, rights which police were concerned might be breached by the national campaign.

“The charter also states it is unlawful for a public authority, including Victoria Police, to act in a way that is incompatible with a human right set out in the charter.

“Victoria Police should make its legal advice public, so Victorians can see for themselves the difficulties caused by Labor’s charter.

“Labor cannot provide enough police on the streets to protect Victorians, and the absurd restrictions imposed by its Human Rights Charter now mean that police are handicapped in doing their work and stopping criminal gangs threatening the safety of the public,” Mr Clark said.