Organised crime laws pass Qld parliament

The Queensland government's replacement framework for the LNP's anti-bikie laws have passed parliament.

Katter Australia Party (KAP) MPs Rob Katter (right) and Shane Knuth

Katter's Australian Party MPs say they're yet to finalise a position on Qld's bikie law reforms. (AAP)

A suite of proposed laws to replace Queensland's controversial anti-bikie legislation has passed the state's hung parliament.

Labor's Serious and Organised Crime Legislation Amendment Bill passed late on Tuesday night , 44 votes to 41, with support from the two Katter's Australian Party MPs and Independent Billy Gordon.

Cairns MP Rob Pyne abstained from the vote.

The plans will largely replace the Liberal National Party's (LNP) anti-bikie measures that were introduced after the now-infamous Broadbeach gang brawl in late 2013.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said the framework struck the correct balance.

"The bill delivers a reform package that is both legally robust and operationally strong," she said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her party's plan would focus on the criminality of individuals rather than the name of their gang.

"Our laws will enable law enforcement officers to target the other forms of organised crime posing a problem in Queensland ... like paedophile rings in this state, like boiler room fraudsters," she said.

"Our laws are tougher, stronger, more robust and better able to be used by our law enforcement officers."

Police Minister Bill Byrne said his party's plans represented "the gold standard in consultation, transparency and intellectual rigour".

But opposition MPs said the government's review process was flawed because it simply questioned how existing laws could be repealed rather than examined their effectiveness.

"It was a closed shop review with a pre-determined outcome," Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson said.

"What a debacle."

LNP leader Tim Nicholls defended his party's decision to act "quickly and decisively" after bikies crossed a line.

"The bikies will be back into bat, they will be back at the crease ready to hit out again," he warned.

For the LNP's Tracey Davis, the impact her party's crackdown had on catching drug dealers was pertinent.

"As a mother of a daughter who got caught up in substance abuse, methamphetamines, I will do everything and support any piece of legislation that goes towards getting drugs off our streets," she said.

The government's plan will increase the maximum penalties for child sex and fraud offences and replace the anti-association rule with a NSW-style consorting offence.

It will also make it illegal for club colours to be worn in any public space, rather than only in licensed premises.

The opposition's Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek delivered a warning to Ms Palaszczuk as he opposed the reforms.

"We'll make Labor wear their soft on crime attitude like a crown of thorns all the way to polling day," he said.

The laws previously received endorsement from Police Commissioner Ian Stewart as "the strongest laws that possibly exist in Australia to tackle organised crime".


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Source: AAP


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