Joint Statement - Labor’s machete ban: 471 days too late

Joint Statement – Labor’s machete ban: 471 days too late

David Southwick, Shadow Minister for Police

James Newbury, Shadow Treasurer

The Allan Labor Government has finally announced a machete ban – 471 days after the Liberals and Nationals first pushed for it.

Instead of acting when it mattered, Labor has only moved now because Premier Jacinta Allan is worried about her leadership.

It is not because the Premier cares about keeping Victorians safe.

Shadow Minister for Police, David Southwick, said the delay had put lives at risk and exposed Labor’s weak and reactive approach to crime.

“Labor could have banned machetes 471 days ago, but instead, it waited until it became a political liability,” Mr Southwick said.

“This should have been done then – not now because of political pressure, and not because Jacinta Allan has been dragged kicking and screaming to the table.”

Despite the announcement, the Government still has no detail on how the ban will actually work.

“If she was serious about this, the Premier would have the bill ready now. Instead, we’re seeing more last-minute scrambling from a government that has no plan,” Mr Southwick said.

“Labor has had 471 days to get this right, and still doesn’t know how it is banning machetes.

“We don’t know if they will be classified as prohibited weapons, controlled weapons, or what the penalties will be. It’s all about a headline, not about substance.”

Shadow Treasurer James Newbury said Labor’s financial mismanagement was fuelling the crime crisis, making it clear that public safety has never been their priority.

“Every single crime committed since Labor weakened bail laws is a direct result of their failure to act,” Mr Newbury said.

“Labor knew the justice system was underfunded, they knew they were cutting police and courts, and they knew they couldn’t afford to lock up criminals – so they let them walk free instead.”

Victoria’s police force has been asked to find $1.9 billion in cuts over the next four years, and prison capacity is stretched, raising concerns that Labor’s new policies won’t even be properly enforced.

“This is a government scrambling to fix a crisis of their own making while cutting the very resources needed to make our communities safer,” Mr Newbury said.

With Parliament sitting next week, the Liberals and Nationals expect Labor to finally table the full details of their bail changes and machete ban.

The Liberals and Nationals will continue to push for stronger laws and real action to keep Victorians safe – not hollow announcements designed to protect Labor, not the community.

David Southwick, Shadow Minister for Police

James Newbury, Shadow Treasurer