Page 794 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 March 2019
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and executed 101 search warrants. The results demonstrate that the government is effectively dealing with criminal gangs. And, in line with our evidence-based approach, we are targeting proceeds of crime. Last year $980,000 was appropriated for the Office of the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions to boost their ability to seize criminal assets. We have also publicly committed to the introduction of unexplained wealth laws. The aim of these laws is to detect and deter crime by following the money trail and chasing down assets associated with criminal activities. The laws directly target the financial motivations behind organised crime.
Our work in government to protect Canberrans has been robust, responsible and, most of all, focused on achieving real-world results. It is all too easy for members of the opposition to promise that new laws will end gangs in Canberra and stop all shootings. But no jurisdiction governed by any party with any police force can responsibly promise that. Again, the sad reality is that the Canberra Liberals have long since given up on relying on making responsible promises
This government will not play politics with people’s fear. Neither will we be drawn on our engagement with police officers, whom we are proud of and work to support, by the mere fact that another jurisdiction has tried a new law. We will continue to engage with police, with experts and with our community on a principled and evidenced-based approach to crime. That is how we will keep up our success in disrupting, preventing, and enforcing laws against organised crime.
Mr Hanson’s legislation will not deliver safety. It is transparently motivated by the sensational and heavily politicised headlines that he has quoted in introducing it, and it only offers more headlines in response. As a responsible government we are opposing this bill because the evidence shows that it will be ineffective. As a progressive government we will continue to oppose scaremongering as a means of shaping public policy. And as a government delivering on its promises we will keep pursuing an evidence-based approach to help keep Canberra safe.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (10.13): The ACT Greens are concerned about the activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs, or OMCGs, in Canberra. However, our focus has been on implementing responses that have a lasting impact. To date, our research and analysis have found that anti-consorting laws are not an effective or appropriate tool for combatting this criminal activity.
Criminal gangs continue to affect all jurisdictions in Australia, and no state or territory legislation has eliminated organised crime. Furthermore, anti-consorting laws in other jurisdictions have been used to disproportionately target vulnerable members of our society. For these reasons we will not be supporting Mr Hanson’s bill.
The bill will make it an offence for a person over the age of 14 years to consort in person or by other means on at least two occasions with each of two or more named offenders who have been convicted of an indictable offence after being given a warning either orally or in writing by a police officer in relation to those offenders. Warnings issued by the police to a person under the age of 18 will expire after six months while warnings issued to other persons will expire after two years. The
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