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LNP Bill to smash organised crime

Convicted drug traffickers and criminals will be financially devastated and have all their assets seized by the State as part of the LNP’s strategy to win back the war on drugs and organised crime in Queensland.  LNP Shadow Attorney-General Lawrence Springborg has presented a bill to Parliament to amend the Criminal Proceeds Confiscation Act and Drugs Misuse Act. 

 “The LNP is serious about shutting down organised crime groups.  That’s why the LNP presented this Bill today to destroy the financial incentive to commit and engage in organised crime.  

“The LNP’s proposed Bill allows for the confiscation of not just unexplained assets legally owned by individuals but also assets effectively controlled or gifted away by that person.  In effect, this proposed Bill will also have the effect of financially devastating anyone convicted of trafficking drugs. 

“The way forward in tackling organised crime is not through anti-association laws, which to date have never been used, it’s about stripping the wealth from organised crime groups and persons who participate in organised crime,” Mr Springborg said. 

“Organised and serious drug crime is about profiteering. Labor’s anti-association laws do nothing to stop organised crime groups from racketeering and drug pushing … they don’t work and that’s after almost a year since being passed. 

“No amount of new laws dealing with association will stop criminal activity. But giving police and prosecutors the power and resources to seize all unexplained assets will.  This Bill makes it easier to confiscate those assets and remove the key motivation for organised crime,” he said. 

“The constitutional validity of Labor’s anti-association laws was again seriously in doubt following the South Australian laws, on which the Queensland laws were modelled, recently being thrown out by the High Court and deemed unconstitutional by the South Australian State Government. 

“The long term Labor government are totally on the wrong track in pursuing anti-association laws to deal with rogue bikie gangs and other organised crime syndicates.  

“An LNP government will ensure adequate safeguards for Queenslanders from drug traffickers and criminals,” he said.