Civil liberties or law and order?

I live on the Gold Coast, the tourism capital of Australia. Tourism here is a multi-billion dollar industry, and most small business owners like restaurants and motel owners depend on it for their livelihood.

Recently there was a huge brawl between rival bikie gangs for control of the lucrative tourist trade on their "turf".

This took place in the main eating area of Broadbeach, where lots of families were enjoying their holiday by having a meal out with their kids.

During the brawl, tables were overturned, chairs were thrown through windows, and fearful restaurant diners had to flee to protect themselves and their children.

This made headline news throughout Australia, and as a result affected the numbers of people choosing to come here for a holiday.

As a result of the brawl, the state government passed several new laws, which are somewhat draconian. A sample:

• Extra powers for police
• Bikie-only prison at Woodford, north of Brisbane
• Mandatory sentences of 15 years for serious crimes committed as part of gang activity, on top of the normal penalty
• Club office bearers will be sentenced to another 10 years in jail, and parole will only be granted if the offender cooperates with police
• Convicted bikies subjected to strict drug tests and searches in prison
• No gym facilities or TV access in jail
• Phone calls in jail to be monitored, except those relating to legal reps
• Inmates' mail opened and censored
• Visitor contact restricted to one hour a week
• Bikie criminals in other state prisons to be transferred to Woodford
• Introducing a licensing regime for tattoo parlours and artists, banning bikie gang members
• Motorcycles to be crushed as punishment for certain crimes

Some serious stuff here, and the civil libertarians are naturally up in arms about it

The lawyer for the Finks motorcycle club says the new laws are a sledgehammer approach and label whole groups as criminals.

"It's got to the point governments can say 'if you look like a criminal - you are a criminal'," he said. He's right of course, but he does have a vested interest - he makes a lot of money from representing the criminals.

The head of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties says Queensland's new anti-bikie laws make the state a laughing stock.

As a result of these new laws, most of the bikie gangs have disbanded, handed in their colours, and moved on.

The Gold Coast is now back to normal, where people can now enjoy their holiday in peace, and the multi billion tourist indistry has been saved.

My question for the forum is this:

Basically, do you think the end justifies the means?