Page 411 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 18 February 2020
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MR HANSON: Minister, how many bikie gangs are there in the ACT, and is that an increase since 2009, when the community first called for anti-consorting laws?
MR GENTLEMAN: My understanding is that there are still three outlaw motorcycle gangs in the ACT. The Satudarah one will be the last, I understand, that is active, with this arrest. Regarding that gang membership, there are around 40 motorcycle gang members. My recent briefing from the acting chief of police yesterday was that some 50 per cent of criminal gang members are now interned in jail.
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance. I am sure that the minister is getting to it, but the second part of my question goes to whether there has been an increase in bikie gangs since the community first called for anti-consorting laws back in 2009. If there is an increase, can the minister let us know what that increase is?
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Gentleman, do you have—
MR GENTLEMAN: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think that it is directly relevant to provide the history of outlaw motorcycle gang activity in the ACT. From the early 70s, the number of motorcycle gang groups has reduced in the ACT. There were a lot more motorcycle gang groups in the 70s and 80s in the ACT. We now have about four operating. With the Satudarah arrest, that will bring it down to three.
MR PARTON: Minister, are the Gordon shooting, the Kambah shooting, the arson attack and the Belconnen arrest related events?
MR GENTLEMAN: On my recent briefing, I have not been given any evidence to support that claim.
Education—flexible learning
MR GUPTA: My question is to the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development. Minister, how is the government supporting students who need more flexible learning environments?
MS BERRY: I thank Mr Gupta for his question. Earlier in my time as minister, I was out visiting schools and getting across my portfolio. It was clear to me that some students needed more support to get them through and to engage more in their learning. This was an important thing that arose through the conversations that were held during the future of education consultations.
The government has a responsibility to make sure that the participation of all school students is enabled, and I am unwilling to outsource our responsibility for students who have harder challenges and more complex issues and complicated lives.
That is why I asked the Education Directorate to establish Muliyan, which has now been in operation since term 4, 2018. Muliyan is a flexible, off-campus education offering which provides personalised education programs to students where the
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