ANTI-BIKIE LAWS 1

DIRTY DEEDS
heraldsun.com.au 

The Baillieu Government introduced its' anti-association bill to the Victorian Parliament yesterday, Wednesday, November 14, 2012. State Attorney General Robert Clark MP expects the laws to be passed by the end of the year and to be working against motorcyclists by early 2013.

In my opinion this law will have a devastating impact on the motorcycle & scooter community Australia-wide. It may adversely effect other groups in society if they don't fit the nanny-state model but consider just one aspect of our lifestyle that will be directly effected virtually immediately.

Police are already rehashing the old propaganda that riders' good works like TOY RUNS and PINK RIBBON rides are just positive spin to cover our violence and drug dealing. A senior policeman was on the radio the other night spouting this hate propaganda.

If you are a motorcycle event organiser, let's say a TOY RUN, under Clark's law you risk serious bother. 1000 people turn up. Among them is a member of a banned organisation. Police photograph you chatting to the banned person, maybe selling them a TOY RUN badge. You may not be charged  but do you need uniforms at your door giving you a lecture on who you can associate with while the car-driving neighbours watch? There will be fewer and fewer volunteers prepared to take the risk of organising motorcycle & scooter events and a whole aspect of our lifestyle could disappear.

Please read the articles below. If you feel strongly about this police-state legislation email Premier Baillieu and cc the Leader of the Opposition, Daniel Andrews MP and the Independent Riders' Group at:

ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au

CC

daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au

d.codognotto.oam@bigpond.com

The Australian Bureau of Statistics says over 1.3 million Australians are licensed to ride motorcycles & scooters. The vast majority of Australians who ride are law-abiding citizens.

The Transport Accident Commission says that 80% of Victorian riders' are not in any sort of bike club.

The last Victoria Police estimate I heard was that about 7000 people were members of what police call OMGs (Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs) across the country. Just as not all police do the wrong thing, not all members of patch clubs are crooks.

Clark's anti-bikie law makes a community of over a million Australians second class citizens guilty by association. Its' a law Australians should be deeply ashamed of.

Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne