Qld crackdown going “off the rails”
That's according to an academic at Bond University, who says the ‘war on bikies' has gone too far and is simply alerting the public to the wider impact on their civil libertiesThe Queensland government has taken the “war on bikies” too far and alerted a complacent wider community to the impact on basic civil liberties, according to an article in theconversation.com.
The article, written by associate professor Terry Goldsworthy from Bond University, has analysed the campaign by the Queensland government against outlaw motorcycle gangs, which has now been waged for three months.
Goldsworthy believes the strategic direction of the campaign has begun to go badly off the rails. With tradesmen now in the sights of law enforcement over links with bikie gangs, the government has moved the war from fringe occupations – such as tattoo parlours – to mainstream society. Goldsworthy says it’s simply not in the ‘spirit’ of the legislation – the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act – and has been a PR disaster for the government, taking the “war on bikies” too far and alerting a complacent wider community to the impact on basic civil liberties.
In a nutshell: the “us and them” (the bikies) dichotomy has changed to a more encompassing view of who can be affected by the laws.
Goldsworthy also provided a review of recent crime statistics proffered by the Queensland Government, including arrest figures over the last few months. For the full analysis, click here.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
