Petrina Berry
Queensland's anti-association laws being used for the first time against an outlaw motorcycle gang are not the best, Premier Campbell Newman says.
Queensland police on Friday lodged a Supreme Court application to have the Surfers Paradise chapter of the Finks motorcycle club declared a criminal organisation, following a recent spate of bikie-related crime on the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
They are using the Criminal Organisation Act 2009, brought in by the state government, for the first time.
If successful, the Finks can be stopped from recruiting and orders can be taken against members, banning them from owning weapons, applying for jobs in security or gaming and from entering certain venues.
Russell "Camel" Wattie, spokesman for the United Motorcycle Council of Queensland, says he believes the laws are "invalid" and can be struck out in the High Court as happened in South Australia.
"Someone cannot control what jobs you have?" Mr Wattie told AAP.
"That's robbing people of a legal way of making money. So what does that leave them with?
"These are not fair laws. I think they could be found to be invalid."
He said he was disappointed with the Newman government which opposed the laws when the Liberal National Party was in opposition.
Mr Newman said he still did not believe the Act was the best way to tackle criminal organisations but the government had to use "the tools" available.
He said the government will introduce legislation soon that will target people who accumulate unexplained wealth.
"We continue to have the view that there are better ways to crack down on outlaw bikie gangs," Mr Newman told reporters on Saturday.
"And those are the unexplained wealth laws we will bring in."
When asked if he still planned to repeal the Criminal Organisation Act, he said: "That was the plan we put up in the past but I'm not going to comment on that today.
"We want these unexplained wealth laws to be the focus of our attack on these gangs.
"They will be coming forward in coming weeks in parliament."
Mr Wattie said the Act, as it stands, could be used to discriminate against any group."It could be used against the Catholic church," he said.
"It could be used against any NRL club. They have salary cap breaches and sexual assault charges; that's all classed as criminal activities."
