Page 3624 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 25 August 2009
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comprehensive and factual document designed to inform debate and provide members with the facts that exist, not idle speculation and anecdotal comment. I think in many respects the report has served its purpose, although I note that in some respects, at least when it comes to the opposition, that is perhaps questionable.
I note that the Queensland government has announced its intention to introduce new laws this week aimed at dismantling organised crime gangs in that state. My counterpart, Mr Dick, has indicated his intention to release a draft bill this week for consultation with legal, justice and civil liberties groups. I would like to point out to the Assembly that these legislative amendments were anticipated by the government and were referred to in the report we are debating this afternoon.
While I have not had the benefit of reviewing Queensland’s draft bill, I understand that under the proposed legislation the courts will be given the power to make declarations against criminal organisations, control orders against members of criminal organisations and anti-association orders in similar fashion to those now available in New South Wales and South Australia.
While the Queensland government appears to have considered balancing the rights of the individual with community safety by including a public interest monitor during court proceedings, I am advised that this type of legislation, as with the South Australian and New South Wales provisions, would fall foul of our Human Rights Act. That is because, in essence, the laws seek to punish individuals for who they associate with, not for what they have done.
Since tabling the government report, the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General has progressed its work on serious and organised crime. Earlier this month, Attorneys-General met and agreed to a range of additional measures, including enhanced law enforcement powers and offences for combating and prosecuting organised crime; nationally coordinated arrangements to identify, prioritise and respond to organised crime threats, including consideration of the development of a national organised crime threat assessment; nationally consistent criminal asset confiscation regimes; the strengthening of criminal intelligence capabilities; and greater engagement and coordination with business to target organised crime. I have confidence that these national efforts, coordinated under the umbrella of SCAG—the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General—is the right and appropriate way to tackle these issues.
I would also like to draw members’ attention to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Australian Crime Commission and its inquiry into the legislative arrangements to outlaw serious and organised crime. This report was publicly released earlier this month and in it the committee comprehensively catalogues the threat of serious organised crime in Australia. The report also provides a useful analysis of many of the same issues canvassed in the government report.
Members will be aware that last week I introduced the Crimes (Assumed Identities) Bill that will give police in the ACT the ability to create and adopt a new and false identity for the purposes of gathering intelligence and arresting organised criminals. If passed, the legislation will be a valuable addition to police powers aimed at disrupting organised crime rings within the ACT.
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