Page 1899 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2016
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Title read by Clerk.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Capital Metro, Minister for Health, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for the Environment and Climate Change) (11.01): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Madam Speaker, today I am presenting the Crimes (Serious and Organised Crime) Legislation Amendment Bill. This bill makes several important amendments to the ACT’s laws targeting serious and organised crime and other criminal activity. In particular, the amendments will assist ACT Policing to disrupt the activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs, often known as OMCGs, which commonly include violence and intimidation, drug trafficking, financial crime and associated illegal activity. Before getting to the details of the bill I would like to provide the Assembly with some information about the context for its development.
While the level of OMCG activity is relatively low in the ACT, there have been signs that it may be increasing. Specifically, ACT Policing and law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions such as New South Wales have concerns about the prevalence of patching-over activity in the territory. This occurs where a member of one club changes allegiances and joins another. This phenomenon has seen the single OMCG in the ACT splinter into three groups. The instability and tension created by membership changes of this nature pose a public safety risk to communities through OMCG links to criminality, their use of violence and their ability to create fear. OMCG history demonstrates a clear link with random but recurring acts of public violence that call for appropriate legislative and operational responses.
Due to the ACT’s location within New South Wales and being at the relative midpoint between Sydney and Melbourne we are very aware that we must maintain a law enforcement focus on OMCG activity, particularly activity that comes from interstate. This focus must have a strong component of long-term preventative capability to ensure that police have the tools necessary to disrupt and dismantle organised crime networks. Being aware of the need to remain vigilant, the ACT continues to be part of the ongoing national effort to disrupt, disable and dismantle the activities of organised crime.
In terms of operational policing, ACT Policing actively monitors OMCG activity through task force nemesis which commenced in June 2014. Task force nemesis is tasked with tracking, disrupting and arresting those members of OMCGs involved in criminal activities such as drug trafficking, illegal firearms, money laundering, extortion and serious assaults. ACT Policing also joins a national, concerted effort by working closely with operation Morpheus, which capitalises on the commitment that has already been invested by state and territory police as well as commonwealth law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
As part of the national effort through the Attero national task force the ACT has had the opportunity to monitor the progress and success or otherwise of relevant Australian legislation over the past decade.
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