Bikies’ spin is criminal

G says:

01:04pm | 11/08/09

My my my many of you have written about these terrible bikies and how the law should be worded to single out one particular group.  How many of you actually know any ‘bikies’ ? Indeed what is a ‘bikie’? many have called me a bikie even my parents because of my appearence and by the fact that I ride a big bike and to some could appear intimidating 183cm 94kg tats, goatee, earrings you know the look.

The problem with you assumptions that all ‘bikies’ are bad people holds no more sway than all Police are honest and good people.  There are good and bad in all facets of society and are certainly not restricted to a very small number of people Australia-wide some call bikes.

Oh and by the way I am a Senior IT consultant with a Govt agency have been involved in setting up childrens advocacy organisations, volunteered my time a youth refuges and drug rehab centres, have 2 children no criminal past and definately no criminal future unles of course I get arrested for attending a party put on by one of the Clubs that I have associated with over the course of the 30 yrs in the saddle. 

Association no more make you a criminal than having a feather pillow makes you chicken.

Before you jump up and embrace these laws I invite you to read them (with an open mind) and then make up your own mind now I know some of you will find that difficult as you hav ben led by the nose by the media and government your whole lives so why stop now.  If everything the media said was true we should all have died from ‘Killer bee stings’ ‘Ebola’ ‘Aids’ ‘Bird Flu’ etc by now.  The world thrives on being scared into not thinking and this is another example of media driven political point scoring with no real basis in fact by certainly sells a few papers.

Sean Patrick says:

10:44am | 11/08/09

Blanket laws like this association based rubbish have been used around the world many times throughout recent history…and guess what .. repealed in no time because it always made the ‘problem’ worse.

One example you might wish to have a gander at ( if knowledge is what you like to base your opinion on ) are the Internment Laws used in Ireland during the height of the ‘troubles’ in the 70’s-80’s.

Anyone who was even slightly suspected of being or even looking subversive were arrested of the street and held without charge in internment camps in an effort to curb the IRA’s numbers and influence…..guess what einstein..the troubles got worse, all the innocents that got caught up in ‘blanket’ law application turned against the authorities and hence the rebellion grew dramatically.

Funny thing about Humans, usually when pushed into a corner, though innocent, they more often than not react rather than retreat. It didnt take the authorities long to realise the ‘cure’ had in fact become the ailment and the laws were repealed…which is EXACTLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN HERE .

Sean says:

04:13pm | 08/08/09

If Ferret’s welcome to write a piece, why haven’t you published it?

Ben Payne says:

12:21am | 08/08/09

The ‘hoon’ laws in victoria, which were brought in to curb young drivers with ‘hotted up’ cars, is being misused by police on a daily basis - go and have a look at the impound yard - there are combi vans and delivery trucks and lots of ‘family’ cars.  If you honestly think these bikie laws won’t be abused, you really need to get out more.

Paul says:

08:58am | 07/08/09

Penbo where do you get off! what happened to freedom of speech! READ THE LAWS do your research!!!! then make a bloody comment! Not all bikies are criminals! Not all clubs are 1%, but these laws effect ALL!!!
The current laws the Police have been using seem to be working fine! How many arrests have been made of late! Why give the Police a short cut and trust them not to abuse the new powers! who are you kidding! Pull your head in!

Dan says:

03:16am | 07/08/09

Give me a break. The Australian Press Club isn’t debasing itself by inviting anyone; it’s called freedom of speech. You may not like what they say, but they have a right to say it. They also have the right to ‘disparage and denigrate’ journalists. You think that what they say is crap, and that the only people to fear from these laws are criminals, well others would disagree, and would point out that some of the people being given control orders are NOT criminals, and that it takes place behind closed doors in secret hearings. Additionally, some might call you naive for suggesting that these laws would never be misused (if you really think that ahving elections ensure that politicians don’t misuse laws makes you more than naive; it means that you’re completely ignorant and out of touch with the real world.)

The point is, the bikers have every right to argue their case and have every right to appear at the press club. You do NOT have the right to suggest that they should not be allowed to argue their case. Similarly, you can’t expect everyone to treat journalists with kid gloves. You think their case is crap; I think your contention that the bikers shouldn’t be allowed to argue their case at the Press Club is crap as well.

stan says:

01:44am | 07/08/09

Hey Jonothan that story in the Austalian make no sence heres a quote from that article

We believe that a number of the offenders involved in the distribution and sale of these drugs are linked to OMCG (outlaw motorcycle gangs),” Mr Mennilli said.

He could not say if those arrested were gang members or if they had other links.  So if cant say how is it bikie related
Can someone tell me are bikies involved or not because Mennilli cant say that the crap that jurnos are writing Ferrets making alot of sence now

steve says:

01:33am | 07/08/09

With these new laws if the goverment would of said life in prison or exacution to proven drug dealers and any criminal act no bikie would of argued about it

Elly says:

12:39am | 07/08/09

Jonathan, looks like you are the one who was fooled by empty police spin. Notice how they won’t say how many of the 6 men arrested were “linked” to biker clubs, what the “links” were, which clubs were involved, and whether the men were actually MC members? What a joke.

Ratbag says:

12:38am | 07/08/09

Oh how quickly we forget David:

“....any government which let such an appalling abuse eventuate would be voted out, as we have these things called elections in Australia.”

Is this the same guy who got belted around the head by Media Watch for suggesting that the Rees Govt should “sack itself”. I guess you hadn’t heard of those things called elections when you wrote that, brain trust. That selective intelligence of yours clearly wasn’t working when you wrote this.

Jonathan says:

03:31pm | 06/08/09

some more good publicity for our bike mates: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25891793-12377,00.html

Is anyone fooled by their antics?  Bunch of mindless drug dealing thugs, hiding behing the law when it suits them.

Tina says:

01:33pm | 06/08/09

Good article.  I usually watch press club but had to turn it off this time as i could stand the bull that was being condonned.  If anyone has every had anything to do with any of the major bike clubs in this country, and I have, they will know that these blokes were lying through their teeth.  They are the organized crime in this country.  The supply all the speed, pot, ice and smack and on the off day when they are not busy doing that they revert back to minor break and entry or terrorising innocent citizens because they find it amusing to see the fear in a young persons face.
They are a bunch of lying arseholes and i was disgusted to see them in the press club in the first place.
Anyone who would stand up for their crap is as stupid and as guilty as they are….

PS some of them dont even ride bikes, its all about the organization and crime not the bikes.

mick clifford says:

11:56am | 06/08/09

can’t wait til the laws are applied to journalists whose views do not sit well with the Government of the day…see Fiji

Bruno says:

11:40am | 06/08/09

Nice article, hard to argue against it really. Although you did leave out one good point Ferret made, something about ‘the organised crime that is committed everyday by the police and government”. That would be a good article too.

homer says:

11:20am | 06/08/09

great oped. No one should trust the bikies and no one should trust the pollies. But there’s an easy fix that should meet the bikie’s slide-to-nazism argument - make the anti-assoc laws bikie specific then right thinking democrats can abandon the bikies’ cause and leave them to the police.

Mark M Aldridge Independent says:

10:34am | 06/08/09

To side with the the laws could work towards more civil rights losses, to go against them would make me a bikie sympathizer, What Crap!
We need in society to address our various short comings, and no doubt that is the job of our political representation, but should their be limits to the powers they seek, can we really afford to give up all our freedoms in the fight against a minority group? I have fallen victim to both crime and over zealous policy, I believe that the legislation in this case is more knee jerk than well planned, should I say spin over competence.
Every action taken by our government should benefit the majority, and in this case they have missed the mark, as usual.

eag says:

08:21am | 06/08/09

That’s the beauty of democracy, everyone gets to have their say withour fear of reprisals.

davido says:

02:11am | 06/08/09

Good points but is this not a little hypocritical coming from the media?

As to the misuse of laws I am on Ferret’s side. Who is to say the laws wont be misused. Laws have been in the past.

I am also against the rabid proliferation of laws for just about anything.

marce says:

11:06pm | 05/08/09

Although I have no love for bikies, the association laws make for a seriously dangerous precedent, and represent probably the most significant watershed in the politics of law & order since the World Youth Day Act (remember - tried to ban anything potentially ‘annoying’), APEC powers, or Peter Debnam declaring that if he were premier, he would DIRECT the police to have ‘middle eastern thugs’ rounded up and charged with “ANYTHING”. Pollies issuing arrest warrants is not a good thing.

Imagine that kind of kneejerk reaction in the future - what might that ‘anything’ charge be, Penbo? Possibly some nice association laws?

jed says:

10:50pm | 05/08/09

“Ferret and his friends were allowed to misrepresent this deserved coverage without challenge.”

oh geez, i’ve got no love for bikies, but this is rich. good luck to them frankly, considering the sensationalism and rot that exists throughout the news.com.au network most everything i read is misrepresented bollocks in some way or another.

j says:

09:02pm | 05/08/09

Everyone who s ever had a beer in an Australian pub knows the bikers at the press club are full of it

davewilson says:

05:54pm | 05/08/09

If you think the Bikies were bad Mr Penburthy, you obviously haven’t been watching the litany of the criminal and incompetent parade of NSW Labor in the last few years.  Laws unto themselves? The police would never do what? I attended the peaceful APEC 2007 protests in Sydney where many, many in the police service, I mean police FORCE, decided they would take their badges off but hang onto their truncheons. For fun I guess.  Labor should be banned from associating with war criminals like George Bush.

jg_rat says:

05:25pm | 05/08/09

Not so worried about the Methodist Ladies Temperance Union, but watch out for CWA ladies. The tea in those big old metal teapots is *wicked*

miles says:

04:38pm | 05/08/09

why is bikies’ spin criminal…but politicians’ (or journalists’) spin okay?
surely it is the things they do that break the law which are the criminal things?
no need to invent new laws for them to break - just police the ones we have

Fro says:

04:22pm | 05/08/09

Bikies with their 1% creed - what a bunch of hypocrites! we will flout the laws of this country ,we are lawless, a law unto ourselves - oh hang on….anti bikie laws - whatdya mean I can’t mix with my mates so we can organise our meth labs…WHERE’S MY LAWYER - SEE YOU IN COURT!

new creed - we will flout the laws (we don’t like) in this country, and we will embrace the other laws that will help us get rid these new laws we don’t like.
1% outlaws - 100% bully, drug pushing stooges. Cops should have cart blanche to burn their clubs to the ground.

watto says:

04:14pm | 05/08/09

Yeah and Howard wouldn’t have used his ‘Sedition’ laws either Penbo? Rees and Rann are control freaks and can’t stand dissent like Howard couldn’t. What you don’t understand is giving up civil liberties for Wars on Everything makes us feel less safe -not more safe. Howard now understands. It was a policing failure and lack of political will from Labor, that allowed bikies (and other gangs) to get out of control - why pretend otherwise ?

Trevor Gall says:

03:36pm | 05/08/09

Why does Australian law always have to play catch-up. Not until criminals and thugs take full advantage of any weaknes or loophole do we suddenly realise - a law has to be strengthened. In the mean time emdles damage an dhurt have been put on normal citizens because we were too willing to trust the supposed good faith and intentions of others.

We should have laws that allow us to stop this before it becomes more of a problem. Why do raids on biker properties regularly turn up rifles, baseball bats, hand guns, cross bows? Do these guys play sports in their spare time?

Jeff says:

03:32pm | 05/08/09

The main difference between bikies and any other organisation that may have the odd lawbreaker is that outlaw motor cycle clubs boast of being just that - outlaws, meaning ‘outside the law’.  They flaunt the ‘one-percenter’ badge which is a public indication that, if it suits them, they intend to break the law.  (The one percent label dating back to the Hollister riot in the 60s which was blamed on the ‘one percent’ of bikers who did not do the right thing and were ‘outlaws’).  Bikies adopted this as a label by which they wished to be known - and now it is coming back to bite them. essentially outlaw bikies fall into two groups - those who have broken the law, and those who intend to break the law (as evidenced by their wearing of the one-percenter badge).

Quagmire says:

03:27pm | 05/08/09

Hear, hear David. And the other fact of the matter is that the F.R.E.E. Australia Party which these model citizens have “confected”, (and which our democratic system allows as their right), is less about defending our democratic and human rights than it is about defending organised crimes unlawful right to pursue its business unimpeded by the “association laws”. Yeah, this so called alternative political force may have other policies, but these policies have been basically formulated by some would be politicians, in haste and taking populist stands on current issues to make the outfit look credible and legitimate.

iansand says:

02:53pm | 05/08/09

And when they came for the journalists no one gave a rats, because they were already irrelevant.

You obviously did not notice, but the anti-terrorism laws were passed to meet a special threat.  But, when these bikie laws (for want of a better expression) the justification was something like “we already have these sort of laws for terrorists.”  Next time it will be “we already have these laws for outlaw motorbike gangs”.

I appreciate that journalists lack imagination, or an attention span no longer than that a lobotomised goldfish, but do really trust politicians this much?  Can you think of a better venue than the Journalists Club for a speech about free speech?