''National laws will prevent members of organised criminal groups from easily shifting their operations to other states and territories,'' Ms Gillard said in a statement. ''Organised criminals move from state to state. They also have assets in different states and overseas.'' Under the new laws, police in all states would have the same powers to seize ''unexplained wealth'', including cash, cars and houses, from criminals. ''Most criminals are more afraid of losing their money that going to jail,'' Ms Gillard said. The Prime Minister will also ask state premiers to support reforms to the guns market that Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare lobbied for last year.

Ms Gillard will ask the premiers to agree to set up an Australian Ballistic Identification network and to copy South Australian laws that give police more ''stop and search'' powers to target criminals who are banned from carrying or owning guns. NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said he had called for national laws last year when NSW, South Australia and Queensland were having their anti-gang legislation challenged in the High Court. ''I look forward to seeing the detail, I look forward to what appears to be a discussion we are going to have at COAG,'' he told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday. ''But I have learned enough about the federal government, particularly this week, to know that the devil will always be in the detail. ''Clearly these are reactions a federal government should take, actions I have been urging, and if this lines up I am happy to embrace it.''

Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said he would co-operate with the Commonwealth on the proposed legislation but criticised Ms Gillard for trying to take revenue from states. Mr Bleijie stood by his refusal to refer unexplained unexplained wealth powers to the federal government. "When these assets are confiscated from criminals they are used to fund important programs and services for Queenslanders, but now the Gillard government wants to take that away," he said. West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said his state would cooperate "where the Commonwealth could play a role" but "we're not going to hand over powers". "Why is suddenly the regulation of gangs suddenly become we need to transfer powers to the Commonwealth?" he said. "I get tired of that."

Talk of crushing gangs and imposing stricter law and order has been constant during Ms Gillard's five-day campaign in western Sydney – a region riddled by drive-by shootings during the past year. In Victoria, police are concerned a feud between two big bikie gangs will explode into a war, with the risk the general public could be caught up in any violent clashes. Ms Gillard made her national anti-gang law announcement in Punchbowl flanked by western Sydney MPs Jason Clare and Daryl Melham. On Sunday, the Prime Minister announced a $64 million ''national anti-gang taskforce'', comprising as many as 70 members from the Australian Federal Police and state polices forces, together with officers from the Australian Crime Commission, Australian Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Immigration and the Australian Tax Office. This is not the first time the Gillard government has tried to persude the states to hand over their powers to fight organised crime. ''Last year I got all the attorneys-general across the country and asked them for this power to create national anti-gang laws,'' Home Affairs Minister Mr Clare told ABC radio on Wednesday.

''They rejected that proposal. I think that was a mistake and I said at the time, 'We need this and I would prosecute the case for it again'.'' Asked why Labor believed they could succeed now given its past failure to convince the states, Mr Clare said: ''Well I'm hopeful. The NSW Premier has made the point that he thinks this is a national issue and that they need to work together to create national laws.'' Loading Mr Clare hopes that by ''taking this to the next level'' through a direct plea from the Prime Minister to the premiers, ''we'll get a breakthrough''. Follow the National Times on Twitter