Page 2873 - Week 08 - Thursday, 17 August 2017
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That is what we were warned of. At the time we in the opposition called for the government to introduce such laws. The government refused to do so.
What we have seen in the intervening period is, sadly, that that has come to fruition. It has come to fruition in a number of ways: by bikies coming down from New South Wales, particularly from Sydney, to conduct their activities here, and through the emergence of two new gangs. This is because this is an attractive place for new gangs to emerge and to start operating. In fact, some gangs have received legal advice to that effect. I will quote from some reports. This one is widely reported. It is from the Daily Telegraph earlier this year:
… NSW Police sources have revealed their exasperation at how the ACT situation is hampering their battle against the bikie menace. “A lot of clubhouses have been closed down and bikies no longer roaming in packs in NSW but it’s frustrating that they can still operate freely in Canberra,” a senior New South Wales officer said.
Closer to home, I will quote from the ABC earlier this year, in March. This is the Chief Police Officer:
I think the key benefit of anti-consorting laws, noting that’s not the only solution, is that it’s a preventative tool,” she said.
This is the ACT Chief Police Officer. This is the ACT Chief Police Officer that this government is ignoring. It is refusing to give her and her frontline men and women the tools they need. The quote continues:
“So what it means is people can’t wear their colours and they can’t congregate in groups, which allows them to undertake their planning and preparation and potentially criminal conduct.
“It’s about dismantling, disrupting and preventing rather than responding.”
Assistant Commissioner Saunders agreed that Canberra’s lack of anti-consorting laws made Canberra a haven for bikies.
That is what the opposition has been saying since 2009. The Chief Police Officer agrees. The ABC report continues:
“I believe that’s a factor in the decision to come here and undertake their activities,” she said.
It is not just the Canberra Liberals saying this. This is your Chief Police Officer saying it and you are ignoring her. As a result, what we have seen is an explosion of bikie violence in the suburbs in this town.
Some of the recent incidents are very disturbing. We have seen fire bombings of homes. We have seen assault-style weapon used. I think 27 rounds of high powered ammunition were fired into a house, which had a minor inside at the time. The AFPA president, in responding to these latest issues, said:
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