Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Justice. As the minister would be aware, the issue of outlaw motorcycle gangs is of great concern to my electorate of La Trobe, as it is in Victoria generally. How is the government working with the states and territories to use Commonwealth powers to help put these groups out of business and to make my constituents safer?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for La Trobe for that question. As a former police officer, we know that he understands the threat that criminal gangs pose to our lifestyle here in Australia. I also acknowledge that the member for La Trobe is the author of the policies that I now have the privilege of implementing to tackle gangs across the country, and that he authored them prior to the 2010 election.

We know that bikie gangs are the public face of organised crime in Australia. They are involved in all aspects of criminal activity including gun-running, the illicit drugs trade, prostitution, extortion, money-laundering and the corruption of public officials. These gangs have national and often international dimensions and that is why they demand a national response. That is why the coalition is implementing our policy of a national antigang squad. I have had the privilege of rolling out the Queensland strike team with my colleague the Queensland police minister. I have announced the implementation of the Victorian strike team with the Victorian Premier and will soon be making further announcements about the strike team in New South Wales. I have also instructed that the Anti-gangs Intelligence Coordination Centre be moved from the Australian Federal Police to the Australian Crime Commission. This will be a one stop shop for intelligence for all police and law enforcement agencies across the country so they can tackle gangs within their own jurisdictions. It will link back to all aspects of Commonwealth law enforcement but also to other government agencies such as Centrelink, the Australian Taxation Office, and customs and immigration.

Our approach to Commonwealth law enforcement is in stark contrast to what the previous government did. The funding cuts made by Labor to law enforcement—and the shadow communications minister should listen to this, because he was one of the ministers who was responsible for cutting the heart out of Commonwealth law enforcement—were $310 million and 97 officers cut from the Australian Federal Police. One-third of the budget of the Australian Crime Commission and one third of the officers of that agency were cut by the Labor Party, as well as significant cuts to other Commonwealth law enforcement agencies.

Despite the significant cuts that this shadow minister was responsible for as minister, our federal law enforcement agencies have been doing a very significant job—but they have been doing it with one hand tied behind their back by the cuts that the previous government made to federal law enforcement. I can send a message to Commonwealth law enforcement that the government has changed. Our priorities have changed, and they will now find the new Abbott government sees national law enforcement as a significant priority.