Never even heard this was on

 

[Queensland bikies have rallied in Brisbane against the state s crackdown on outlaw gangs.]
AAP Queensland bikies have rallied in Brisbane against the state's crackdown on outlaw gangs.

More than two thousand bikies have rallied in parkland opposite Queensland's Supreme Court to protest against the state's crackdown on outlaw gangs.

Under the new laws, known bikies can be jailed for up to three years if they gather in a public place, or could be jailed in solitary confinement, wearing pink suits, for months before trial.

Those that spoke at the protest have been personally hit by the laws, including Tracy Carew whose husband Joshua Carew and brothers Steven Smith and Scott Conley were arrested in December, following a meeting at the Yandina Hotel.

She says her husband spent weeks in solitary confinement 23 hours a day before being released, and Smith is still locked up.

"The mental damage is irreversible," she said.

"One thing for sure, since their release they have not been the same.

"We will fight to have those laws changed so that every Queenslander has a right to associate with whoever they want, wherever and whenever they want."

Lawyer Zeke Bentley, who is spearheading the United Motorcycle Council of Queensland's High Court challenge, told the rally the laws are a breach of fundamental rights.

Signatures were also gathered by Paul Keyworth from the Motorcyclists Australia Party, who he wants to turn into a political party before the next state election in 2015.

Independent MP for Nicklin Peter Wellington says the ultimate revenge will be at the ballot box.

He says the Newman government has taken the laws too far.

"Today on Australia Day we usually celebrate our freedoms and our liberties and we are the envy of countries," he said.

"But today, at our rally we are starting the fight to win back those freedoms and liberties Campbell Newman has taken away.

"No longer in Queensland is everyone equal before the law, no longer are you innocent until proven guilty, and no longer can our courts impose reasonable bail conditions until the charge is contested in court.

"That is not the Australian way."

Queue naysayers, and begin....

It's a shame that so many splinter groups get created when these things happen.
I think it would be so much more constructive to lobby the opposition party to get them on side.
After all,they already have supporters and are established with skills newbies to politics will never understand.
I would never waste my vote on a splinter group,that's for sure.

I wonder if we need to await another state election to do something about these VLAD laws, how soon can a high court challenge be made to the laws now, and how long before people are able to appeal bail decisions beyond the jurisdiction of QLD courts, again perhaps to the federal court maybe? I'm no expert, but if these laws truly are unconstitutional, how long can QLD impose these archaic punitive measures based on what look to me to be essentially unlawful laws? We have access to lobby groups and barristers, and I think I read somewhere that even the gumbiment that is responsible for these outrageous acts of parliament acknowledge that these laws must be reviewed within three years, lets hope that something concrete is done sooner rather than later. This institutionalised injustice is decidedly un-Australian, I just hope we get an Australian solution before things get worse.