Allan government urged to legislate two-year jail sentences for anyone caught with machete on the streets in Victoria
Premier Jacinta Allan is being urged to introduce two-year jail terms for anyone caught on Victorian streets carrying a machete ahead of a total ban in September.
The state government used "extraordinary powers" to fast track a total ban on sales of machetes on Wednesday following two scary public incidents last weekend.
On May 24, police were called to South Melbourne to reports a man was armed with a machete. While officers apprehended the man, a woman drove at them in a car.
Police shot into the vehicle, fatally hitting a 34-year-old woman.
While on Sunday, officers were called to Northland Shopping Centre in the city's north to reports a group of youths were fighting which allegedly saw machetes produced.
Shoppers could be seen running for their lives in scenes reminiscent to the Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing attack in Sydney that claimed the lives of six people.
Victoria's shadow police minister David Southwick said the Liberal Party had pushed to ban machetes five times in the past 15 months, which the government knocked back.
He also argued the ban put in place was on sales and not possession.
"So you can still carry one around," Mr Southwick told Sky News host Steve Price.
The Caufield MP also raised concerns about the days leading up to the ban, claiming retailers were selling machetes for $4 to get rid of stock.
"When the ban finally comes into play... are they hoping the $4 machetes that have been sold off will be handed into a police station in four month's time?" he asked.
There has also been confusion around the description of a machete.
Prior to the ban, the Victorian government said a machete is "broadly" classified as a "cutting edge knife with a blade of more than 20 centimetres".
But on the day the restriction came in place, director of Consumer Affairs Victoria Nicole Rich said there were no particular lengths of the banned knives.
The government has previously shown examples of machetes.
Mr Southwick said he could not define the banned weapon and questioned how the government and police will encourage people to hand them in.
He pushed for jail terms for anyone caught on the street with them.
"What we've been calling for is pretty plain and simple: if you carry one on the street you should face a jail term of two years and the government won't legislate that until September. So between now and September people have got a holiday to carry them around on the streets, they just can't buy them from a retail store," he said.
The government said an amnesty will begin from September 1 to November 30 where people can dispose machetes into bins at safe locations and police stations.
In a statement, Ms Allan said community safety was her priority.
"We must never let places we meet become places we fear," she said.
'I hate these knives and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives.'
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