Victoria's Machete Ban Fails to Eliminate Machetes

Well this is awkward.

A man has lost his hand after a savage machete attack at a Melbourne shopping centre.

It’s shocking, obviously, because Premier Jacinta Allan banned machetes earlier this year.

You remember that, right?

The dramatic press conference?

The solemn nods from police?

The Labor government proudly declaring that banning large, scary knives would usher in an age of peace and harmony?

And yet, here we are.

A 33-year-old man now minus a hand after being attacked by a group of males at Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows on Saturday night. The group stole the man’s mobile phone.

The real mystery here isn't why violent gangs are roaming Melbourne armed with machetes. No, the mystery is how this could happen after the machete ban.

I mean, isn't that how laws work? You pass a law, and the bad guys immediately comply because they're very good at following the rules?

Surely, these criminals must have missed the press release.

Or - and I’m just spit balling here - maybe banning machetes doesn't stop criminals from using machetes.

Maybe all it really does is give politicians the chance to pretend they’re doing something, while regular citizens are left to hope they don’t bump into the wrong group of "youths" on their way to get milk.

So yes, a man has lost his hand. It’s tragic. But it’s also a reminder that you can’t solve violent crime with solemn announcements and symbolic bans.

Not that anyone in the Victorian government will learn the lesson. I fully expect Jacinta Allan will today announce a ban on holding mobile phones in a bid to protect others from being subject to this sort of crime.