THE Attorney-General has been accused of "pure hypocrisy" in his defence of VLAD laws.

Nicklin independent Peter Wellington has called out Jarrod Bleijie on a speech the then opposition justice spokesman gave to Parliament in 2009 in which he spoke critically of the Bligh Government's proposed Criminal Organisation Bill.

The criticism of that legislation rings close to that the Attorney-General is now receiving for his own Orwellianly-labelled Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment laws.

Mr Wellington said yesterday Mr Bleijie had gone from talking about the right to a fair trial and the freedom of association to introducing "the most extreme legislation in Australia's history''.

On November 25, 2009, Mr Bleijie in Parliament described the Criminal Organisation Bill as "an attack on the right of freedom of association".

>> NEWMAN WILL DITCH VLAD LAWS... BY 2016

"While it is currently intended for motorcycle gangs, once again this bill does not mention the term 'bikie' or 'motorcycle gang' and this piece of legislation could be used against any group that may fall into disfavour regardless of the purpose of their gathering,'' Mr Bleijie said.

"While I agree that people need to be protected from organised crime, there must also be the protection of personal liberties such as the freedom of association."

Similar criticism has been levelled at the VLAD laws which were rushed through Parliament last year and were subject to three revisions.

Hansard from 2009 shows Jarrod Bleijie opposing laws similar to VLAD.

Three Sunshine Coast men who met for a beer at the Yandina Hotel on November 1 have been imprisoned in solitary confinement since before Christmas, charged with the crime of association.

In 2009, Mr Bleijie was adamant that attempts to restrict the right to association were an attack on everyone's freedom.

"I say to the people of Queensland that, with this government, they do have something to fear,'' he said in 2009.

"This Bill encroaches on their personal freedoms and liberties.

"A government that tries to remove these freedoms and liberties is a government that is to be feared."

Mr Wellington said Mr Bleijie's questioning of his stance on the issue was disgraceful, given the level of the Attorney-General's "pure hypocrisy".

Mr Bleijie responded with a statement.

"The criminal gangs forced us to draw a line in the sand when an innocent woman was shot in broad daylight in a shopping centre and when scores of Bandidos rioted in front of families on a busy dining strip,'' Mr Bleijie said. "They were increasingly stomping on the rights of innocent people through drugs, intimidation and violence and we had to take necessary action.

"We didn't like doing it but we are not going to get cold feet, unlike people like Peter Wellington who supported our laws in Parliament.

"Labor's legislation captured no one in five years and criminal motorcycle gangs flourished.

"Specific gangs are named in parts of our legislation but we deliberately allowed it to also capture other criminal groups such as paedophile rings.

"The groups that have been listed have been identified by the police and the Crime and Misconduct Commission as criminal gangs who are involved in drugs, extortion, violence, car thefts and break and enters.

"They have long and many tentacles and they are involved in a huge range of illegal activity.

"We have implemented safeguards such as requiring a jury to determine if an offender is a vicious lawless associate and a statutory review in three years. It is also a defence if an alleged offender can prove that the organisation they are a member of is not a criminal organisation.''