Queensland political culture: executive dominance trumps civil liberties

[Extract] Queensland has over recent weeks passed a number of laws declaring guilt by association for those who are members of or associate with "criminal" bikie gangs. Twenty-six gangs have been declared criminal organisations but a criminal organisation also includes three or more people who have as their purpose engaging in serious criminal activity. Under amendments to the Criminal Code, participants in a criminal organisation who are "knowingly present" in a public place with two or more other participants in a criminal organisation, are guilty of an offence charged with a minimum sentence of six months to be served "wholly in a correctional facility".

A list of addresses – bikie clubhouses (though they are not named as such) – are "prescribed places" under the new laws. It is an offence under the Criminal Code for a member of a criminal organisation to enter any prescribed place. It is also an offence to wear or carry clothing and jewellery marked with the insignia or names of a criminal organisation into licenced premises.