This bill is the latest move from a government that has shown little to no respect for the civil rights of ordinary Western Australians, and follows in the footsteps of policies such as mandatory sentencing, stop and search powers, prohibited behaviour orders and CHOGM exclusion orders.

In 2009 you helped defeat the proposed stop and search legislation, which sought to remove the need for reasonable suspicion in police searches. We need your help again to do the same to the anti-association bill.

Please join Search For Your Rights in our Act for Association.

Starting from today Search For Your Rights will be timing a series of simple acts to show our elected officials that we will not stand for yet another unwarranted, unjustified and unproven restriction on our rights.

Please join us, and together we can once again show the WA Parliament that contrary to what they think, we do give a shit about what they do to our rights.

The event page where you can be updated on the acts that you can do in support of association can be found here . Alternatively, each act will be added to the website as they are released.

Search For Your Rights spokesperson, Pearl Lim, has expressed disappointment with WA Labor’s decision today to support the Criminal Organisations Control Bill 2011.

“We know that the Attorney-General talks a big, anti-bikie line on this Bill, but the truth is that this Bill doesn’t once mention the words ‘bikie’ or ‘gang’,” said Ms Lim.

“All this Bill does is give a single, unaccountable judge the power to criminalise any association that he or she likes. It’s guilt by association at its most radical. That’s why it affects the rights of every Western Australian.”

Ms Lim pointed out that Labor’s decision to support the Bill is contrary to its own principles and platform.

“The WA Labor Platform clearly states that it supports equality before the law, due process and freedom of association. Yet, it has just announced its support for laws that are anti-association and anti-freedom,” said Ms Lim.

“It begs the question: What does WA Labor stand for?

“Mark McGowan had an opportunity, as their new leader, to take the Party in a new direction, to stand up to the Barnett Government’s cheap politics.

“While I understand that Mr McGowan has promised to attempt to amend the Bill, no amendment can change the fact that the Bill attacks a fundamental right of democracy.

“Labor has been proven wrong for supporting the Barnett Government’s law and order agenda before, and it will be proven wrong again.”

Ms Lim promised that Search For Your Rights would continue to fight the Barnett Government’s ineffective law and order agenda, regardless of the outcome of this Bill.

Please send an email or letter to one or all of the below concerned members. Outline your concerns about these laws and why you want them to oppose these laws.

(If you don’t have time to write your own email, there is a draft letter in the “Voice Your Views” section).

Michael Mischin
Liberal: North Metropolitan
Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General; Minister for Corrective Services
michael.mischin@mp.wa.gov.au
PO Box 3044
Joondalup WA 6027

Mia Davies
Nationals: Agricultural Region
mia.davies@mp.wa.gov.au
Level 1
8 Parliament Place
West Perth WA 6005

Phillip Gardiner
Nationals: Agricultural Region
(No email provided)
PO Box 392
Moora WA 6510

Helen Morton
Liberal: East Metropolitan Region
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer; Commerce; Science and Innovation; Housing and Works; Water; Mental Health
helen.morton@mp.wa.gov.au
Unit 2
201-205 Burslem Drive
Maddington WA 6109

Nick Goiran
Liberal: South Metropolitan Region
nick.goiran@mp.wa.gov.au
Unit 2, 714 Ranford Road
Southern River WA 6110