Bill Debate: Machete Ban: Council Amendments

BILL DEBATE

‘MACHETE BAN: COUNCIL AMENDMENTS’.

Thursday 19 March 2025.

Mr NEWBURY (Brighton) (11:53):

I rise to speak on the Amendments that have been moved today, and I do seek to circulate Amendments which have just come in on behalf of the Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections, if they can be circulated in my name.

They relate to, as the Shadow Minister alluded to earlier, bringing on the ban earlier and also imposing a ban in retail immediately. I said yesterday and I say again today the job of Government is to keep the community safe. What we have talked about in relation to bail yesterday and machetes today is about the community not being safe and the Government proposing changes which will not make the community safer quicker, which is not only what the community want but what they deserve and what they need, and they need it now. They do not need it in 288 days, which is when these amendments will come into effect. I refer to Clause 2 under the Amendments – 31 December, as per those Amendments.

What we do know is that on average 40 weapons were seized each and every day last year, of the 14,797. Forty weapons a day were seized. I mean, it is out of control. Forty of these weapons a day – they are everywhere. All the Premier did last week with her press conference was illustrate how many of these weapons are around and how available they are. But for the Government to then stand up and say they are going to do something in 288 days – how weak, how pathetic, and Victorians know. Victorians know that the changes the Government is seeking to make will not make them safer, and they also know that the changes are not quick enough. It is too little too late from this Government.

We have heard examples being read into Hansard by Members on this side of the place for a very, very long time. Even this morning in this debate we heard examples of the most horrific crimes, and I refer to the Shadow Minister’s reference to the shocking crime in St Kilda. What will be interesting is to see whether the local Member will get up on behalf of her community and speak about that crime, because we know these crimes are occurring. These Amendments will bring the ban on quicker. Why would you possibly oppose them.

If you do not understand the Government’s behaviour and track record on this issue, I would only look at these specific Amendments just to make it clear for everyone who is not a parliamentary tragic. I assume everyone is, like me, but for everyone who is not a parliamentary tragic, the Government is amending a Bill and adding in machete-related changes to that Bill today, when two weeks ago they opposed toughened machete provisions in this very Chamber and voted against them. They voted against toughening machete laws two weeks ago in this bill, and today they are moving Amendments to the same Bill. You can be absolutely assured that had the Government voted for the Amendments two weeks ago. We pushed for them to already be in place. They could already be in place, because two weeks ago they had the opportunity and voted no. I hear people asking, ‘Did they vote no just once?’ No, they did not vote no just once. 477 days ago, the Coalition tried to push the Government to get tougher on machete and knife crime by moving a Private Members Bill in this place, and every Member, including the Minister who is walking through the Chamber, voted no 477 days ago. And it was not just then, not just two weeks ago, but four times the Government has voted no to getting tough on knife crime, and finally the community sees it, not just because of the crimes that are occurring. They know now that the Government kept voting no. They know that at the heart of this Government is a belief that perpetrators come first, and victims come second. The community knows that; they know it. You can hear the Labor Members quietly whispering about how the government are going down the wrong path, how they have lost their way, because the community now knows crime is out of control. They know crime is out of control, and they know that not enough is being done to get tough and keep the community safe.

As I said, four attempts have been made in this place to get tougher on machete and knife crime. Why the delay, then? Why are we waiting until 31 December, you might ask. The truth is the Government have not yet worked out what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. They have not even worked out what they are going to ban, and they have admitted that in the debate. They have admitted in the debate that they do not yet know exactly what they are going to ban, and they do not know who they are going to allow to lawfully continue to have an instrument in certain circumstances – for example, farmers, as has been raised.

The Government does not know. Not only have they come 477 days after the Coalition proposed it to the table, they do not know what they are doing or how they are going to do it. You only have to look at the debate today in this Chamber. The Minister himself said that these –

Lily D’Ambrosio interjected.

James NEWBURY: Well, I will leave that one off camera. The Minister himself said today that these machetes will be handed in at 24-hour police stations. That is what the Minister said. There are obviously issues in many areas because the Government has allowed 24-hour police stations to be shut – 43 of them, including in my community of Bayside. We have one station, which is now shut at night. The Minister himself said police stations, and Members that followed from the Government then said the ban would not mean handing in machetes at police stations. You have the Minister saying the ban will be imposed at police stations, and then Labor Members stand up and say the handovers will not occur at police stations. This Government cannot even work out from one speaker to the next not only what they are banning but how. I do not begrudge the backbenchers, because they are just reading out the talking points they have been given. I get it. I am sure they ad lib between the talking points – I will give them that – but the Government Members read out the talking points which say machetes are not going to be handed in at police stations after the Minister said they are. Which one is it? That is a very fair question. To have Government members not know in this Chamber this morning just shows that they do not know what they are doing.

477 days ago this Government had an opportunity to get tough and do something about machete and knife crimes. We know that 40 weapons are seized everysingle day, so we know that since that time 19,080 weapons will have on average been seized. That is nearly 20,000 weapons, and that falls on Premier Allan’s head – every single one – because the Government through their leadership said no, just like they have said no four times.

The community knows that this Premier and this Government are only trying to act now because they have been caught politically. They have not even drafted legislation. Their own Members do not know what they are going to do about it. Their Members do not even understand it. The Government have been caught being soft on crime and they have been caught being soft on weapons. We have moved Amendments today which will show again how soft they are. Not only should they stand condemned, but the community is condemning them every single day of the week. The Government should hang their heads in shame for what they have allowed to occur in Victoria.