the ABC story...................
South Australian police still do not know what prompted a gun fight involving bikie gangs in Adelaide early yesterday.
Men armed with semi-automatic pistols fired least 15 shots during a brawl that developed in Gouger Street in the city at about 1:30am ACST.
Three men have been detained and interviewed by police but no charges have been laid.
Superintendent Des Bray says police need witnesses to help them work out what happened.
"Overall this incident displays an extremely dangerous and reckless behaviour by these individuals, who show no regard for the safety of decent law-abiding citizens and it's only good luck that no innocent members of the public or bystanders were killed or seriously injured," he said.
A four-wheel-drive believed to be connected with the shoot-out was found burning in Adelaide's northern suburbs early today.
Fire crews put out the flames in the maroon Landcruiser in Kent Avenue at Clearview just before 5:00am ACST.
SA Attorney-General Michael Atkinson says legislation before Parliament would enable police to impose control orders on outlaw bikie gang members.
"Criminal motorcycle gangs shouldn't be given the scope to operate here in South Australia, they shouldn't be given the scope to shoot up Gouger Street," he said.
Mr Atkinson has urged opponents to the bill to support it.
"The important thing is that these gang members be banned from going to certain places where they're going to be causing trouble, where they're going to confront each other or going to have a brawl of some kind," he said.
Democrats Upper House MP Sandra Kanck says the State Government should not be using the shoot-out as an excuse to push through its anti-bikie legislation.
"We have a shooting incident with people who look nothing like bikies, in a white Mercedes and vehicles you don't normally see bikies involved with and we're told to believe that that's bikies," she said.
But SA Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith says the shoot-out in Gouger Street highlights the urgent need to push the anti-bikie legislation through Parliament.
Mr Hamilton-Smith thinks the legislation does not go far enough, but says at least it is a good starting point.
"We've fully supported it, in fact we've said it may not go far enough - we've said if it doesn't work we need to see further legislation," he said.
"And [do] you know what Mr Rann has been doing? He has been raising the Upper House early in recent sitting weeks, sending them all home and not listing this bill for debate."
Let's just be uber-cynical for one moment here..:
Who is known to be trialling the new semi-automatic handguns?
Who really really REALLY wants this bill to become law 'cause their job will then be a doddle?
Who has undercover operatives who LOOK like "bikies"?
... notice that NOBODY actually got hurt?? 15 shots!!
... see the media beat-up? and the gummints "we need this bill"? (Like we don't have laws to deal with this already..?? duh..)
.. who controls the crime scene information?
--oh,, oh,, and how's the timing of this ?? Just co-incides with the gummint being forced to put it on hold..
JUST A THOUGHT!!!
--IF-- I was uber-cynical I might think conspiracy or worse.
It was mentioned to me this morning that this was not typical of a "bikie" gun fight but this argument simply suits the gummint.
Food for though people..
Ah, just another observation..
South Australia is the ONLY state that does NOT have a fully independant Police Complaints [and Investigation] Authority. Here it is run BY the police..
Any noises about making it independant have always been hushed up and shut-up.. hmm, how convenient.
jees I'm getting cynical...
