AUSTRALIA - Abbott Government to give police more powers to tackle bikie crime

OFF THE WIRE
THE Abbott Government will give police greater powers and introduce new laws to target a plague of gun and bikie crime.
Tony Abbott and his lieutenants are blurring the lines of state and federal responsibilities and are drafting laws to help tackle crime in the suburbs.
In the cross hairs of the Government is the ``wild west’’ of Queensland — the Gold Coast — as well as Western Sydney and Melbourne.
In one of his first interviews since becoming Federal Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan told
The Courier-Mail that new mandatory five-year jail sentences for firearm trafficking would be drafted as a matter priority.
``I think we need to send the strongest possible message from every jurisdiction that we are not going to tolerate gun crime,’’ he said.
Police have been promised any extra powers they need to tackle organised crime and a new national platform to voice their concerns through the Council of Australian Governments.
States will be encouraged to relinquish some powers to the Commonwealth in a bid to create uniform laws and anti-gang squads will be set up with state and federal officers.
Mr Keenan said he would forge ahead with pushing states to agree to introducing a penalty of 14 years’ jail for offenders with illegal guns.
It’s understood the Government will pursue laws that will make it easier to demand financial information from a suspected offenders so they can be charged with having unexplained wealth.
State Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie yesterday championed his unexplained wealth laws, saying,
``our new unexplained wealth and drug trafficking legislation are the toughest and most innovative laws in the country.
``I believe Queensland’s legislation should stay in Queensland but I’ll be more than happy to work with Minister Keenan on future law reform to tackle organised crime.’’
Mr Keenan, who believes decisions made in Canberra can keep ``streets, homes and communities safer’’ said the Commonwealth was aware of the crime problems facing the Gold Coast.
Mr Keenan said the Government would help the Gold Coast Council set up more CCTV.
``I am aware in particular of the bikie problem out there. I’ve also had discussions with the Queensland Police about it as well when I’ve been on the Gold Coast,’’ he said.
``We’re going to make sure the Commonwealth pulls its weight in doing that it can to tackle gangs.
``It’s about making sure we’ve got tough anti-gang laws around the country, we’ve got tough fire arms laws and we’ve got a national approach to law and order where its appropriate, particularly considering organised criminals do not respect state boundaries.
``I would expect them (anti-gang taskforce) to have a keen interest on what’s going on at the Gold Coast and we’ve got to make sure that Commonwealth law enforcement is providing its weight here.
``That involves them having extra powers and we are going to seek to have that done as soon as possible.
``When we were devising this policy the situation on the Gold Coast was one of the troubled spots or one of the concerns that helped frame this policy.’’
Mr Keenan also flagged concerns he had about Australians who fled to Syria to participate in their civil war.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/abbott-government-to-give-police-more-powers-to-tackle-bikie-crime/story-fnii5v6y-1226727909756