PEACE - POT FOR PEACE, PEACE FOR POT

Political Plots and Smears?

NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard (Proof)

RICHMOND LOCAL AREA COMMAND
Page: 62

Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [5.16 p.m.]: Today, in company with my colleagues
the honourable member for Ballina, Don Page, and the honourable member for
Clarence, Steve Cansdell, it was my pleasure to entertain the superintendent
of the Richmond Local Area Command, Bruce Lyons, his partner, Tracie, their
son, Ethan, his mother, Beryl, and Michael Drury. Our luncheon celebrated
the presentation today of the Australian Police Medal to Superintendent
Lyons in recognition of his long and outstanding service in the NSW Police.
In 1988 he received a national medal and in 2003 he was awarded the New
South Wales Police Medal. Superintendent Lyons is very humble about his
achievements. I am pleased that the award recognises his dedication,
leadership and support not only for his police colleagues but also for their
families and the community at large. His distinguished service has led to
his appointment to the front line of the Richmond Local Area Command.

That leads me to comment on problems that I have drawn to the attention of
this House on many previous occasions in relation to the town of Nimbin and
activities involving the misuse and sale of illicit drugs and alcohol
problems. Nimbin has been beset with these ongoing problems since well
before I was elected to this House, and I have been drawing the Government's
attention to these problems over many years. I recently called on the
Minister to provide an increased police presence in the area, and the
Government provided two additional police officers over the past few weeks.
Since then certain sections of the community have become very concerned
about policing in Nimbin.

I assure the people of Nimbin that they are no different from the people of
any other town of this State. Police cannot condone activities that I have
witnessed and that have been reported to me. I remind this section of the
community that they have no exemption from the law applying to activities
they want to undertake. On Saturday the annual Mardi Grass will be held at
Nimbin. There seems to be an attitude among this certain section of the
Nimbin population that they have an exemption from the application of the
law. This attitude has been evident for a few years and these people seem to
think that because they have continued their campaign over a period of
years, they are condoned. They cannot understand why suddenly there are
problems associated with their activities.

As I said, they are certainly not exempt; they are like every other
community so far as policing is concerned. Recently I heard a gentleman on
ABC radio say that he was intimidated by two police officers who asked him
questions about what he was doing in town. When he went home later he was so
disturbed he could not work for the rest of the day. Let me turn that around
to when police do their job in Nimbin: Within one or two minutes of police
arresting someone for a drug or alcohol matter, there would be 20 or 30
people surrounding the police. That also is intimidation. I fully support
the police in what they have been doing. It is something that the community
has pressured me about for a number of years.

I have received inquiries as to why Nimbin people believe they are different
and should be exempt from any laws. If people want to make a political
statement about the legalisation of cannabis, there are other ways of doing
it, rather than flaunting its use at the Nimbin Mardi Grass festival. I have
continually highlighted that Nimbin has a huge tourist potential, higher
than any other area in my electorate. Nimbin is one of the prettiest towns
in the State. People who visit Nimbin cannot get out of their cars before
their car window is knocked on and they are asked what drugs they want to
buy. The local community and visitors to the area support me in my call for
extra police. I pay tribute to the local police-they are doing a fantastic
job. I thank the members of all the other communities that have accommodated
the police in doing their job in Nimbin.

Mr Paul McLeay: Who did you have lunch with?

Mr THOMAS GEORGE: Superintendent Bruce Lyons. I will continue to compliment
the police on the job that they are doing. On behalf of the electorate of
Lismore, I assure the police that they have the support of the majority of
the electorate. We will continue to support the police in bringing Nimbin
back to the town that it should be.

Mr CARL SCULLY (Smithfield-Minister for Police) [5.22 p.m.]: I do not often
respond to private members' statements, and have not done so for quite a
while. However, I think it is appropriate on this occasion that I do so. I
know Superintendent Bruce Lyons of that command. Today at Government House,
Governor Bashir awarded him an Australian Police Medal for his distinguished
police service. I congratulate him on that. The honourable member for
Lismore has spoken to me on a number of occasions about his concerns with
policing issues in and around Nimbin. I have had discussions and meetings
with Commander Bruce Lyons.

I support the honourable member for Lismore's strong words of support for
the policing efforts in that area. In the past few days a large police
operation was carried out in the area and a number of arrests were made.
That is a very strong reminder to residents and visitors to Nimbin that the
Government will not tolerate lawbreaking. If people break the law, or take
drugs, or misbehave, they will be processed through the courts and will end
up in gaol. I have reminded Commander Lyons that I do not want any notion
that Nimbin is somehow a post-70s hippie no-go zone for police, that we
would tolerate behaviour there that we might not tolerate elsewhere. That is
complete rubbish. The honourable member for Lismore and Commander Lyons have
my full support in doing what the police and the community need to do to
make sure the community knows that.

Nimbin has a different lifestyle, and that is not unlawful. If people want
to wear clothes or conduct themselves in a way that is a bit eccentric and a
bit different, there is nothing wrong with that. That is fair enough,
provided they do it in a way that is appropriate and does not unfairly
impact on other citizens. I have no objection to that, nor do the police.
But if people are going to break the law, take drugs and make a nuisance of
themselves they deserve to be locked up, and they will be.

NIMBIN DRUG USE 28.2.06

Page: 20717

Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [5.44 p.m.]: Nimbin is a wonderful town in
my electorate of Lismore. I will set the scene for honourable members. I
received a letter that is typical of letters and complaints that I receive
about Nimbin. The letter reads:

"Dear Sir,

Over the holidays we decided to go to a few different places on our
travels, and boy did we come across something different. NIMBIN _

I could not explain to my 14yo daughter why I have told her all her
life that it is wrong to do drugs and it is illegal as well.

She knows the law about drugs.
My daughter wants to be a lawyer when she finishes school but was
totally shocked why the law is not carried out in the little community of
Nimbin????

Three times she was asked if she wanted to "score" as they put it.

She watched several people smoking joints in the street.

And then we went into a shop which next door was a café to smoke all
you like.

We came across police, but could you tell us why this community has
different rules to the rest of the country???"

The community has had enough. There is blatant drug use and drug
dealing in Nimbin. The town also has problems with alcohol, mental health,
homelessness and domestic violence. I sympathise with the majority of Nimbin
residents who must put up with violent and antisocial behaviour from a
certain section of the community.

I put it on the record that the call for a greater police presence in
the area comes from every section of the Nimbin community. I led a community
delegation that discussed the issue with the previous Minister for Police.
We realise that it is not just a matter for the police; heads of departments
in the area have been working together to come up with some solutions to the
many problems in Nimbin. However, this afternoon I will focus on the drug
scene in the town. Even when there is a media presence in Nimbin the cameras
and reporters do not stop people from smoking, and dealing in, drugs. The
police are being intimidated. Whenever they make an arrest within five or 10
minutes people arrive to protest against the arrest. They stop the police
from doing their jobs. At present only three police officers from a staff of
four are stationed at Nimbin and they cannot do their job.

I have always said that Nimbin is the town in the electorate of
Lismore that has the most tourism potential. But it needs to be cleaned up
and controlled. I have received reports about victims of bashings who are
hospitalised with broken limbs but who will not report the crime against
them. Why? It is because they are frightened of the consequences if they
make a report to the police. The crime statistics do not reveal the real
picture at Nimbin. A local newspaper reported recently:

Magistrates are telling the police not to waste their time with petty
drug crimes.

That is not acceptable and the community has had enough. Students come
to me, as their local member, for help. They say, "Every time we apply for
work in Lismore or the surrounding towns and say that we're from Nimbin the
interviewer's attitude changes immediately". The residents of Nimbin need
our help. We have witnessed riots at Cronulla, Dubbo and Macquarie Fields.
If we do not have a proper police presence to bring law and order to Nimbin
the New South Wales Government will add Nimbin to that list. Do not say that
you have not been warned!

I call on the Minister for Police to provide eight police over and
above the present strength at Nimbin and that of the Richmond Local Area
Command. Every mayor in the electorate of Lismore is telling the Richmond
Local Area Command superintendent not to send officers from their towns to
Nimbin. We cannot expect three police to provide the policing required at
Nimbin. They are overworked-on many occasions there are no police on duty.
We need an additional police presence. Community members have told me that
they are sick of the blatant drug use and drug dealing in Nimbin. We must
have extra police officers as soon as possible in order to return law and
order to a community that needs, and deserves, better. [Time expired.]

MP's son on drug charge
July 27, 2007

THE son of the NSW assistant speaker and Nationals MP, Thomas George, was one of two alleged members of the Lone Wolf bikie gang refused bail yesterday after facing court on serious drug charges.

Brendan George, 32, was arrested early yesterday in Sydney's west by gang squad detectives. He was later refused bail in Liverpool Local Court.

He was charged with participating in a criminal group and supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

Mr George, member for Lismore and Nationals party whip, confirmed in a statement that his son had been arrested on a "drug-related charge". Mr George attended the bail hearing late yesterday to support his son.

"It is not appropriate for me to comment on the details of the case, other than to say my whole family and I love Brendan dearly," he said in a statement.

Suspect bikie was on other charges
Jennifer Cooke
August 22, 2007

WHEN Brendan George, the bikie son of a NSW MP, was arrested in Sydney last month for allegedly supplying drugs, it was trumpeted by police as part of a statewide crackdown on outlaw motorcycle gangs.

But the arrest of the 32-year-old Lone Wolf member on other amphetamine-related charges four months earlier was not made public. Granted bail on condition he report to police three times a week, he was released from Casino police station on March 29 after his brother, Stuart, paid a $1000 surety.

George first appeared in court six weeks later, just before the Police Commissioner, Ken Moroney, announced Operation Ranmore would target bikie gangs, particularly the Nomads, Comancheros, Bandidos and Rebels, which had been involved in a turf war for control of the Sydney nightclub drug scene.

George did not appear in Lismore Local Court yesterday, excused from a fourth court appearance on the Casino charges if legally represented. His new Sydney lawyer, Mark Rumore, foreshadowed that George would plead guilty to possessing amphetamines.

However, pending delivery of transcripts from intercepted telephone calls, George would contest charges of supplying a trafficable amount - 11 grams - of amphetamines and dealing with $3495 cash suspected of being the proceeds of crime, the magistrate, Nicholas Reimer, was told.

George's father, the anti-drug National Party Whip Thomas George, issued a statement supporting his son after his arrest and appearance in Liverpool Local Court on July 26 on charges of participating in a criminal group and supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

Mr George is well-known to the head of the Richmond Area Command, Superintendent Bruce Lyons, who told a local paper the same day that while it was easy to make big headlines with arrests, he could understand what the MP was going through.

Mr Lyons was unavailable for comment yesterday. But the Richmond Area Command duty officer, Inspector Dave Driver, declined to comment on matters before the court when asked whether police were aware in March that Brendan George was a member of the Lone Wolf gang.

The gang had been the target of Strikeforce Tangarra, set up in May last year, which led a series of raids resulting at least seven arrests around Lismore and Sydney last month, including that of George and the gang's president.

Another gang member, Peter James Hasrouny, 40, arrested in relation to an arsenal of weapons allegedly found on his property at Kunghur, near Murwillumbah, on August 8, is expected to apply for bail in Lismore next week. He faces 16 charges, including drugs and weapons counts.

George, who has no criminal history, was granted continuing bail in Lismore until September 4.

This is despite George being in custody in Sydney pending his next appearance at Liverpool Local Court on October 3.