Statement from the Leader of the Opposition, Brad Battin, and Shadow Minister for Police, David Southwick
The Allan Labor Government must make banning machetes a priority when Parliament resumes next week.
Reports of masked thugs wielding machetes and storming suburban retail stores are deeply disturbing and put the safety of Victorians at serious risk.
Despite Labor passing legislation to ban machetes, they remain readily available on our streets. These weapons are still being used to commit violent crime. That is unacceptable.
Under Labor, crime is spiralling out of control. The latest figures show an 18 per cent rise in recorded offences, with a crime now committed every 50.3 seconds in Victoria.
At the same time, Labor has cut Victoria Police's budget, shut police stations, and failed to deliver the 1,100 additional sworn officers it promised.
Worse still, a violent youth offender facing more than 400 charges and bailed over 50 times, recently walked free from court without any supervision. It's clear Labor's justice system is broken.
We'll restore police numbers, back frontline officers and ensure if you break bail, you will face jail.
Our plan targets prevention and supports families - community safety is our number one priority.
