Farewell Machetes, and Thanks for All the Fire Prevention Work! By John Steele

The Victorian government in Australia has doubled down on its commitment to implement a pioneering machete ban, as detailed in the Yahoo News Australia article "Machete Ban as Government Doubles Down on Crime Combat":

https://au.news.yahoo.com/machete-ban-government-doubles-down-230239061.html

This Australian-first initiative, driven by a surge in youth crime and violent incidents involving machetes, introduces stringent penalties: up to two years in prison and fines exceeding $90,000 for carrying or selling machetes without a valid exemption, such as agricultural use. The legislation, backed by Victorian Police Minister Jacklyn Symes, responds to high-profile clashes, including a recent festival brawl in Narre Warren where youths wielded machetes and knives. The government aims to have these laws in place before the end of 2025, signalling a rapid rollout to curb what Symes calls a "disturbing trend" of weaponised violence.

However, the article casts doubt on the ban's effectiveness, a scepticism echoed by critics like Victoria Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt and opposition leader John Pesutto. The core argument is that banning machetes won't address the root causes of crime and will likely be undermined by the ease of substituting other weapons. Machetes, while prominent in recent incidents, are just one tool in a broader arsenal readily available to offenders. Kitchen knives, cleavers, axes, baseball bats, and crowbars—items found in homes, hardware stores, or sporting goods shops—can seamlessly replace machetes as instruments of violence. The article notes a 14-year-old's arrest in Nottinghamshire with a discarded machete, hinting at a global pattern where weapon-specific bans fail to deter determined criminals who simply pivot to alternatives.

This substitution problem is central to the ban's projected ineffectiveness. Gatt argues that the move is more "political optics" than a practical fix, pointing out that existing laws already criminalise carrying weapons with intent to harm—yet enforcement struggles persist. Pesutto reinforces this, suggesting the government is chasing headlines rather than tackling systemic issues like youth disengagement or policing capacity. The article implies that without addressing these underlying drivers, the ban risks being a superficial patch, easily bypassed by offenders who don't need machetes to inflict harm. A violent clash at a Canberra shopping mall in February 2025, where a machete was used but could have been swapped for any blade or blunt object, underscores this adaptability.

The Victorian government counters that the ban sends a "strong message" and removes a favoured weapon from circulation, potentially reducing its cultural cachet among youth. Symes cites community fear—evident in Narre Warren residents' reactions—as justification for decisive action. No concrete data presently shows a decline in violence tied to the announcement. Critics maintain that the substitution effect will render the ban moot, as the tools of crime are too varied and accessible to be meaningfully curtailed by targeting one item. In a state where home invasions and street brawls already defy existing laws, the machete ban, while bold, seems poised to fall short of its promise, leaving Victoria grappling with the same violence under a different guise.

But that is just how a woke-mad government operates; with politically correct weapons banning optics, rather than addressing the deeper problems of gangs. Just wait and see, a new melee weapon will emerge as the weapon of choice by the gangs, or they will just ignore the machete laws, like they do every other law. If one is going to kill with a machete, the actual machete is purely incidental!

https://au.news.yahoo.com/machete-ban-government-doubles-down-230239061.html