You're not welcome in Wanganui
The WDC met yesterday, and as the Herald reports, a new by-law is to be drafted - read on:
Whanganui District Council says it will create a new gang patch bylaw after its previous effort was deemed to be illegal.
Following lawyers' advice last week, councillors today voted to start the process required to make a new bylaw to ban gang insignia from being displayed in parts of the district and to seek central government legislation banning gang insignia, Mayor Annette Main said.
The new bylaw would address the issues raised in this month's High Court decision and the council hoped it would be in place by September, she said.
"There is clear support from councillors, the police and the Whanganui public that the gang insignia bylaw is a positive step forward in anti-gang legislation. It sends an important message to our community that we are committed to being a place that doesn't tolerate intimidation by gang members."
We wholeheartedly agree with the decision reached by the WDC yesterday. Appealing Justice Clifford's decision would have been a lengthy and expensive process, with no guarantee of success. Justice Clifford's decision affirmed the council's right to have an anti-gang insignia by-law; he merely found that it had been applied too liberally.
As we have mentioned before, the streets of Wanganui have been far more pleasant since the by-law was enacted. We are delighted that the new Annette Main-led council is taking a similar attitude to the council led by former mayor Michael Laws. Ms Main has wisely listened to her constituents, and even if the idea of banning gang patches grates with her on a personal level, she has taken a pragmatic approach for the public good. We congratulate her for that.
The Hell's Angels may have won the first battle. We have no doubt whatsoever that the will of the people of Wanganui will win the war however. Gangs have no place in a civilised society, and if banning patches is a first step towards eliminating gangs, bring it on.
8 comments:
"You're not welcome in Wanganui"
I'm sure that under any law gangs will be able to find a 'right' to being welcomed in your fair city. No doubt there will be one available to them in that treaty. just like all the other 'rights' found there-in of late.
Tongue out of cheek now, what really worries is the usefulness of the legislation writers when laws barely signed off have to be scrapped and revisited. The only winner there is the legal fraternity.
Certainly does not give this voter any faith in our laws.
As a local, have you noticed since the over-turning of the ban, a marked difference as to how the city was during it? I feared the situation could get worse as they would have a "fuck you, we won" attitude?
Good question Suz. I haven't noticed a marked increase in the visibility of gangs in the last two weeks which could be for one of two reasons; either they've gone underground, or, as Wanganui police have suggested, they've left town, and headed for places such as Marton and Dannevirke, as PMofNZ has previously noted.
It's incorrect to say the courts found the bylaw was applied too liberally.
The courts found it was unlawful and invalid - and obviously badly written.
A moot point Big News - Justice Clifford ruled that the ban was unlawful BECAUSE it was not specific enough; he made it clear that the underlying legislation was NOT the issue. Provided council takes that on board when the by-law is re-drafted, there should be no problems second time around.
Splitting hairs there both Inv2 and BN.
The problem is that the law has to be revisited. At taxpayer and ratepayer expense.
Meanwhile the patched ones show the finger.
PM; it's a small price to pay to affirm the law of the land.
BTW, the "treaty" reference is spurious; the plaintiff in the legal challenge was a white Hell's Angel from Auckland!
Agreed, Inv2. And why I was quick to remove tongue from cheek. After all, I didn't really want to be savaged like that other fervent commenter on previous threads.
Now back to the spurious comment, I would still wager that some white mofos may well have a clouded ancestry, possibly giving them more rights than most.
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