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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-05-06 Daily Xml
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MOTORCYCLE GANGS

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): My question is again to the Premier. Why has he failed to deliver on his promise to South Australians to have a national approach to the criminal activities of bikies? On 19 June 2007 the Premier issued a media release entitled, 'Rann calls for national strategy on bikies'. He said:

The only way to lift the importance of the abhorrent criminal activities of bikies throughout Australia is to place this on the COAG agenda to develop a national approach.

Bikies have not been on the COAG agenda since the Premier, the national president of the ALP, made this promise in 2007, and last night on state television his Attorney said in regard to bikie laws, 'Now is the hour for action.'

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:16): This shows how out of touch the Leader of the Opposition is, because I remember a meeting (and I can see he is red-faced about this) where I gave a copy of an FBI report to the federal Liberal government. In fact, I briefed former prime minister John Howard on this subject, and continuously argued for the issue to be made a priority by the National Crime Authority. What did the federal government, under John Howard, do? It cut the numbers in the NCA office in South Australia.

So, you are total phoneys on this issue; you have been blocking, diving and weaving. This is the most advanced legislation of its kind anywhere in the world. Show your stuff and prove it, by voting in the upper house; get the Liberal leaders of the upper house into your office and tell them to vote for our bill. I want to see both bills—the WorkCover bill and the bikies bill—through the upper house this week. Play a role, be constructive, just for a change.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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