The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s ‘soft on crime’ policy has taken effect, with the first steps to wind back the LNP’s strong anti-criminal gang laws pushed through Parliament.
Shadow Attorney-General Ian Walker said provisions introduced by the LNP were to take effect on July 1 and would have rid the state’s construction industry of criminal thugs and corruption.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government sprung on Parliament, with less than 24 hours’ notice, amendments to postpone operation of the new laws for 12 months,” Mr Walker said.
“Cleaning up the construction sector is vitally important to our state’s economy with the Royal Commission into union corruption hearing evidence about corruption and thuggery at Queensland construction sites.
“This is the first move in Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s plan to repeal the laws and welcome criminal gangs back to Queensland.
“I don't believe Labor had any intention to bring these provisions into force.
“Premier Palaszczuk has said she'll repeal the VLAD laws in August and the provisions to clean up Queensland’s construction sites will be swept away when that happens.
“Labor's longstanding policy has been to weaken the criminal gang laws and go soft on crime in Queensland.
“The Premier’s Taskforce into the laws had a pre-determined outcome - to repeal the laws. Tonight we have seen the start of that process.”
Mr Walker said Labor had made the changes at the 11th hour, bypassing the Parliamentary Committee process and public scrutiny.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk has made a habit of sneaking through amendments with hardly any notice after she rammed voting changes through the Parliament,” he said.
“They have tacked on the deferral of the LNP’s provisions to a completely irrelevant bill and I think Queenslanders can see through their tricks and motives.
“This wind back of the criminal gang laws has been attached to a bill about a sentencing advisory body.
“There's no connection between the issues, this tricky manoeuvre has not gone through the Parliamentary Committee process or even been raised in the community.
“Legislation by ambush is becoming this Labor Government's preferred method of operation – it seems they are not a government of consensus and consultation as the Premier would have Queenslanders believe.”
