An online petition has been started against the Queensland Government’s proposed legislation that discriminates against people riding motorcycles.
The petition is being run through Change.org rather than the government’s own ePetition since the red tape involved with the latter would mean it may not be ready in time for the rally tomorrow (October 12) at DJ Smith Park in Canungra from 9am.
Paper copies of the petition will be available at the rally or you can sign the petition now by clicking here.
http://www.change.org/en-AU/petition...share_petition
This is the wording prepared for us by solicitor and motorcycle rider Jim Feehely.
Dear Mr Newman and Mr Bleije,
In the pursuit of a political campaign to rid Queensland of ‘criminal bikie gangs’, you have each recently made statements to the media that you consider it reasonable that all motorcyclists be subject to overt prejudicial discrimination by legislation and by the conduct of the police.* We, the motorcyclists of Queensland, totally reject that position.
The current police campaign of discriminatorily stopping and detaining motorcyclists for the sole reason that the motorcyclist is riding in company with other motorcyclists is a flagrant breach of our legitimate freedom to use the roads lawfully as is the right of every other Queensland road user.* This campaign does not, to our knowledge, have any legislative authority.* It must, therefore, have executive authority.
This campaign is already legitimising the prejudice of those in the community that hold an unjustified adverse attitude to all motorcyclists without any differentiation between ordinary motorcyclists and what you term ‘criminal bikies’.* *That is already putting our safety on the road in unnecessary and avoidable jeopardy.* That situation will be greatly exacerbated by your government if it enacts legislation that expressly authorises the police to continue or intensify this discriminatory campaign.* We are not what you term ‘criminal bikies’.* We do not engage in criminal activity.* Your statements and your government’s declared intention to pass obviously discriminatory legislation is an insult to every Queensland motorcyclist.
We, the motorcyclists of Queensland, therefore demand to be treated by the Queensland government and the police with fairness and equity to which every other Queensland citizen is entitled.* In particular, we demand the following of the LNP majority in the Queensland parliament:
To refrain from using its majority to enact any legislation that discriminates against motorcyclists as a community group on any grounds whatsoever.
To refrain from enacting legislation that expressly authorises the police to stop and detain any motorcyclist on the basis only that the motorcyclist is riding in company with other motorcyclists.
To use the government’s executive power to instruct the police commissioner to instruct his officers to immediately cease the campaign, already commenced by the police, of randomly, and without any reasonable cause or suspicion, stopping and detaining motorcyclists for the sole reason that the motorcyclist is riding in company with other motorcyclists.
Please, let’s not get into a fight over semantics. It is only the basic sentiment of the petition that really matters, not the exact wording.
I selected a target of 10,000 signatures which is quite adventurous, I know, but no harm in aiming high.
Now get out there and share this with your social media friends, business contacts and anyone else who values what freedoms we have left to enjoy in our country.
And ride safe to the rally tomorrow.
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Originally Posted by Tony Nitrous
