Queensland Government plans CMC power boost to crack organised crime gangs

Updated

The Queensland Government is under fire for introducing tough new laws that will increase the coercive powers of the state's crime watchdog.

In the wake of a very public bikie brawl on the Gold Coast, the Government has been talking tough about bikie gangs and vowing to pull out all stops to rid the state of them.

The LNP Government will introduce a raft of legislative measures to Parliament next week, including a move to beef up the powers of the Crime and Misconduct Commission's so-called star chamber.

Key points: New legislation will be introduced into Parliament on Monday to increase coercive powers of CMC

Under the laws, anyone who refuses to answer questions will face a mandatory jail term

Premier Campbell Newman defends measures, says bikies will be forced to give up information

Civil libertarians fear "extreme" powers will be abused

But critics say anyone can now be hauled into a secret hearing at the CMC and jailed if they refuse to answer questions.

Terry O'Gorman from the Council for Civil Liberties says current laws are adequate and the new extreme powers will be abused.

"In the words of the Queensland Attorney-General - and these are his words - these are 'extreme powers', and the problem is the Attorney-General says this with a self-satisfied grin on his face when he says it. These extreme powers are not justified," Mr O'Gorman said.

"The fear is that the balance between police powers and civil liberties is simply being lost. If you listen to the Attorney-General, Monday is going to be a big day because there are going to be a whole lot of extreme laws introduced.

"This is - and this is no hyperbole or exaggeration - this is a return to the Bjelke-Petersen days."

Lawyer Bill Potts has acted for the Finks bikie gang. He says the community needs to realise the powers will apply to everyone, not just gang members.

"It can simply be any form of investigation, so we now will have effectively a super police force that will be able to force Queenslanders - who have done nothing - into secret hearings and force them to answer questions," he said.

"Now the public might think that this is a good thing if it effectively reduces crime, but the reality is that the CMC has been doing this for many years, quite properly, with proper powers.

"My concern is that taking away the barrier that is of a proper referral from the police service; that what we're doing is opening a floodgate - and once opened, it will never be shut."

Government defends tough new measures

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie says in the past, a police referral was needed to haul someone into the secret chamber to answer questions.

But anyone who refuses to answer the questions will now face a mandatory jail term.

"Frankly I don't care how these people go to jail. If they won't cooperate, if they don't tell the truth, then they should go to jail anyway." Queensland Premier Campbell Newman

The CMC did not request the new power when the Government asked it what it needed to rid the state of outlaw motorcycle gangs and related crime.

Regardless, Mr Bleijie says he thinks it is warranted.

"For years now I've raised the argument that the priorities of the CMC were wrong; they should be very much centrally focused on organised crime in the state," he said.

"We are going to make that happen with our restructure. We've got a willing government; we've got a willing Premier and Attorney-General who is on side in terms of the war on criminal motorcycle gangs."

Premier Campbell Newman says the measures will force outlaw bikies to give up crucial information.

"Frankly I don't care how these people go to jail," he said.

"If they won't cooperate, if they don't tell the truth, then they should go to jail anyway.

"If we can then get information on the real crimes they've committed, so much the better."

Topics: laws, courts-and-trials, rights, prisons-and-punishment, state-parliament, states-and-territories, liberal-national-party, qld

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