Can Do Campbell establishes a New Order

Pic: How goldcoast.com.au reported it, here

Cynic’s Corner: I expect chicanery, corruption, hypocrisy and lust for money and power. Rarely am I disappointed, often my expectations are spectacularly exceeded. Can Do Campbell establishes a New Order for Queenslanders.

Have you read about Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s new bikie laws for Queensland? Dust off your copy of Orwell’s “1984” and it will give you some idea. Just like old Joh they love/hate Can Do Campbell (his nick-name as Brisbane’s Mayor), up there, intensely. After Anna Bligh any sentient being, in charge, would look good.

Campbell comes from a proud line of Australian federal politicians. His parents represented Tasmania in Federal parliament, both held ministerial positions, the father in the lower house and the mother in the senate. I think Dad served his country in the armed forces and the son followed suit, Honestly these guys (well Joclyn really) pick up more federal pensions than an old persons’ home, sorry aged care facility. Mum Joclyn is, by all accounts, a lovely, brave woman and Dad Kevin was a pretty up and down sort of bloke. Kevin’s shock win in Bass is recognised by some as the beginning of the end for Whitlam’s government.

Anyway Campbell attended Launceston Church Grammar School and so you see he has good breeding and impeccable qualifications. LCGS does turn out a nice boy.

Well that’s OUR Campbell and Queenslands’s Can Do. Who’s loss’ who’s gain, you decide. We warn Queenslanders to hold him close and hold him dear. He’ll be off to Canberra before you can say Russ Hinze or Terence Lewis.

Now Can Do narrowly survived allegations (from trouble makers no doubt) but had a stellar old time as Mayor of Bris vegas (a term from Anna’s days of excess). I mean, he’s a LCGS scholar and above reproach. He made the buses run on-time and built bridges and roads in Brissy. They loved him, initially. They hated him when he couldn’t keep promises, cut heavily into state employees numbers and told everyone that Queensland’s problems were caused by his predecessor (Anna). Geez, where have we heard that before; but it’s probably true in this case.

Can Do has a problem. The bikies on the Gold Coast have been playing up, been a bit naughty and openly defying authority. The local press has had an orgy with this and so Can Do has knee-jerked with some of the most draconian law that you will see. It pretty much bypasses the judicial process but nothing is too strong and expedient when you are protecting Queenslanders.

I mean it didn’t help the bikies’ cause when they laid siege to the Southport Watch House, and the Gold Coast Bulletin ran a picture of a leather clad, patched, fully inked bikie striking an angry and defiant pose with the quote “We run the place, you only live here”. I mean fellas, if you’re gonna’ rattle the cage then make sure the beast can’t get out. We have a quiet respect/fear for/of you but this could land all of us in the shit, one day.

Can Do’s latest bikie (notice you never hear of golfies or bowlies) legislation is called the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Bill. Fair dinkum, I kid you not. I’ve immediately called it VLAD’s law and in honour of Vlad the Impaler.

VLAD’s law offers bikies the following: an extra 15 to 25 years’ jail time if they are found guilty of an offence under old laws or the new laws yet to be introduced. If they are also an office bearer then they will be sentenced to another 10 years on top of that. If they cooperate with the authorities then they may be eligible for parole. If they don’t dog on their mates then they do the full time.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has also introduced the Tattoo Parlours Bill and the Criminal Law Criminal Gangs Destruction Amendment Bill. Yeah laugh and read on. Further provisions allow the state to seize and crush motorcycles. ANYONE, patched or not and riding in a group (more than 3) WILL BE stopped, searched and photographed. God knows what the Japanese scooter hire/ride tourist mob will think of that. They like photos so it might be a good thing in that regard. Do a ‘selfie’ with a Queensland copper, nice.

And best till last, Can Do is establishing, north of Brisbane, a special, bikie-only prison, a Guantanamo Bay facility for motorcyclists if you like.

Now it’s not all doom and gloom from Can Do. On the same day that he promised the above sanctions The Gold Coast Bulletin announced that “the proposed multibillion-dollar Broadwater Marine Project yesterday received a shot in the arm, with the State Government opening the door to as many as seven new casinos in Queensland.

Consortiums involved in the Broadwater Marine Project – a multibillion-dollar integrated resort planned for The Spit or Wavebreak Island – have asked for a casino licence. It is understood including one could fund a cruise ship terminal, which is now mandatory for the project.

Mr Newman said his Government believed Queensland could support three new integrated resort casinos and that there was also strong interest from other parts of the state. “In the end, there could be up to seven casinos in Queensland,” he said.

So that’s the Spit gone as public recreation space, sold to the highest bidder or best mate or better mate with a ‘dirt file’ in the locker.

There you have it. The new motto for the Queensland Government, it seems, is “If we’re gonna have organised crime then we’ll organise it, our way”. The hypocrisy, as usual, leaves me breathless. The kick in the nuts to civil liberties and justice beggars belief. The laws have holes that you could drive a Harley Ferguson through.

Can Do has decreed, to all Queensland politicians, police and public service employees (and councils) that henceforth Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs will be called Criminal something or others. Outlaw is outlawed. Can do has spoken, make it so.

The right to free association is kaput for this group and BEFORE they have been found guilty of a criminal offence.

I listened to a learned gentleman on the TV some nights ago. He was an ex policeman who had left the force, done a criminology degree and now ‘specialised’ in outlaw motorcycle gangs. He likened Can Do’s problem to a balloon. If you push hard on one side then the other bulges. In other words if Queensland bikies feel Can Do’s hot breath they’ll decamp to another state. So what does the lucky recipient state do now? Implement Queensland style laws? I feel that the Victorian government, in it’s current form would readily adopt Queensland’s measures. And so on.

You might hate motorcycle gangs but can you see the dangers here. Today they came for them, tomorrow they come for…………

Oh Can Do, did they teach you nothing?