Perhaps We Should Ban Screwdrivers Next?

Whenever the government bans something, individual freedoms are lessened.

Part of a collection of knives seized by police around transport hubs in the last six months is displayed at the Victoria Police Centre in Melbourne, Australia, on April 1, 2010. AAP Image/Julian Smith

Commentary

With a crisis comes a government responding with “swift, determined action.”

The perception of leadership in a crisis combined with the desire to sell the message that “your government is keeping you safe” is any political leader’s dream.

And so it is in Australia’s most northern state, Queensland, where a premier is being politely, at this stage, asked to move on to give the ruling Labor Party a chance to refresh its image and win the next election.

The Liberal National Party is poised to win the next election in Queensland under the leadership of David Crisafulli.

Part of the Labor government’s suite of problems in keeping the electorate on its side is the perception that it has been soft on crime over the past 10 years of its rule.

Bus drivers are refusing to service some areas because of the threats of violence. Youth crime is spiralling out of control with public demonstrations calling on the Queensland government to act.

Facing that scenario, it is little wonder Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk took to the old political handbook and spoke of law changes and bans.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia, on Dec. 13, 2021. Dan Peled/Getty Images

Bans to stop the sale to underage youths (under 18-year-olds) of knives, gel blasters, and replica guns. What is more, the legislation will be introduced before the year is out.

Swift, responsive action. The stuff of positive headlines for any embattled leader and party.

Alcohol and tobacco retailers are used to requiring the production of proof of age. Those in the market of selling knives will need to adapt, and quickly, if the premier’s word is to be believed.

Whenever the government bans something, individual freedoms are lessened. Each such ban sets a precedent and makes it harder for those seeking to remind the government of its role in protecting individual freedoms when the next restriction is sought.

Any banning or loss of freedom must be well thought out and justified. It should only be a last resort.

The need to walk around in public armed with a knife is not exactly a front-of-mind consideration for Australians. It stands to reason that those who do see such a need entertain motivations not shared by the bulk of the community.

While not impacting the vast majority of Queenslanders, the principle of restricting freedoms does deserve close assessment.

Can It Be Justified?

The question for legislators should always be how the legislature can best deal with the issue at hand with the least restrictions being imposed on its citizenry.

So how can youth crime best be curbed? Is it by banning the sale of weapons to them or making it illegal for them to carry such weapons in public?

As an aside, gel blasters have been illegal in all Australian jurisdictions other than Queensland for some time now.

Their danger, especially to the human eye, is sadly well documented. Their involvement in crime sprees? Not so well documented.

The call for the banning of the sale of knives to youths has gained momentum ever since Brett and Belinda Beasley lost their son Jack in 2019 to a knife attack. They are delighted with the announcement which is very understandable given the trauma they have endured.

But a question still beckons: will the ban on the sale of knives keep them out of the hands of youths with criminal intent?

Will access to knives be in any realistic way curtailed? How will the ban impact internet sales, especially from overseas? Will the ban help establish a black market?

These issues need to be fully ventilated lest the old saying “be careful what you wish for” rears its ugly head in a year or two.

Swiss army knives are displayed in a shop in Montreux, Switzerland, on July 6, 2007. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

Surely a more coherent and considered approach is to ban the possession of offensive weapons in public—be they knives, machetes, short spears, screwdrivers, or indeed, hammers.

The list of innocent day-to-day items that can be turned into lethal weapons is only limited by the criminal’s imagination.

Freedoms are precious, and each time one is taken away—even if it is in the name of keeping us safe—it means another freedom has been removed and the ever-growing list of restrictions grows unabated.

Queenslanders deserve and need to be safe. That is a primary role of government.

Another primary role of government is to ensure its citizenry is protected from regulatory overreach.

Balance should always be the key. But the presence of balance is too often absent especially when short-term electoral considerations are in play.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.