So I thought it might be fun for this blog to keep a record of every politician’s promises to increase police powers. So congratulations Anna Bligh for being the first one to make the list! A tip-off on Crikey explains the issue well enough:
Another populist story in the Queensland media and another kneejerk reaction by Anna Bligh. This time we have had stories about the Bandido’s biker gang opening a new clubhouse in the middle of a retail street very close to the Gabba sportsground. And within two days of the story getting out Anna Bligh has announced a new crackdown on biker gangs in Queensland — supported by new laws! The Bandido’s have had a clubhouse in the general vicinity for over ten years!
The clubhouse was in a back street Bligh never complained then! I wonder if the quick kneejerk has anything to do with the new clubhouse being smack bang in the middle of her South Brisbane electorate? Funny thing is the old clubhouse was in her electorate too and it was never a problem because it was hidden from general view in a back street.
So all you need to change the Government’s mind is a story in the media and Anna will give you what you want…
In response, the ABC reports that Bligh has promised powers that include court declarations of criminal organisations and orders preventing gang members from owning weapons, fortifying properties and associating with one another. The Australian Council of Civil Liberties president Terry O’Gorman has called the proposed laws “repressive”.
Added: 25/08/09
Brumby comes in a number two with this promise to curb city violence with more police powers.
Amy is a Sydney-based journalist and commentator with an interest in politics, music, culture and evidence-based medicine.
She is currently working as a medical journalist for a series of "Specialist Update" websites, and she has also been published in The Sydney Morning Herald, Crikey, New Matilda, and Vibewire's anthology "Interface".
She was a panelist with the Sydney Writers' Festival in 2007 and 2008, organised the Sydney Writers' Festival event "erotic fan fiction" in 2009, and is a regular broadcaster on FBi radio.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record (CD? MP3?) pollies are all too quick to jump in and introduce new laws which inevitably become unworkable because they either havent been thought through and are too hard to enforce or because they overlap with existing laws and create a conflict of law. Brumby’s “swarming” sounds like a big overlap with the affray/riot/in company type offences – wouldnt it be easier to just toughen up the penalties for those offences?
Not as spectacular I suppose.