Australian Knife Laws

[Vidar]

You’re not going to have a problem carrying a larger knife or fixed blade if you’re out hunting or camping or similar, it’s in the city doing basic EDC that’s the issue.

I found this UK lawyer discussing a case of wearing multitool in public interesting:

Basically everyday carry in case some tool might be needed was not deemed by a court as good enough to reason to carry a multitool. Instead you should have a specific task in mind to justify carrying. (And presumably for the offending blade - not sure a task involving the file would justify wearing a multitool with knife).

He has some other relevant videos too. Although they are UK specific some of the legal logic behind might be similar elsewhere. In one he says police might try to ask leading questions as "You think this might be used as a weapon?" - a question one should sidestep.

[Valkie]

Sounds like we have a plan

Tbh I’m seriously thinking those of us in New South Wales need to get a petition or something happening

I totally get the need for teenagers not to be carrying 12” kitchen or hunting knives but it’s ridiculous we may get fined and presumably a conviction for carrying a 58mm SAK let alone a 91mm

It’s been reported on the news a number of times recently that knife crime has been steadily decreasing for the last 20 years but the pollies are under public pressure to do something.

It won’t make any difference to a criminal or teenager, they’ll carry on regardless but for the law abiding multi tool carrier it puts us in a really difficult position

In the UK you can carry a non locking folding knife under 3”, this seems a much better compromise. There’s no way we’re going to get something better than that but it does seem something to aim for

Thoughts?

My problem, and it is a problem.
Is that they are attacking the wrong thing.

Instead of attacking the problem (people being stabbed and threatened by large kitchen bladed knifes by criminals)

The put a blanket ban on ALL blades regardless of the legitimacy or innocence of the carrier.

If the existing laws were fully enforced and criminals were punished adequately, a blanket knife ban would be stupid.
And just carrying (or not) a knife does not make you dangerous or less threatening.

In the case a of a recent knife attack.
The attacker was brandishing and using a large carving knife (not a multitool or pocket knife)
When the weapon was knocked from his hand by a defender, he ran of and "somehow" managed to find another huge knife with which to threaten people.
This was in a shopping center.

It just so happens that there are a multitude of "knives" throughout every shopping center.
K Mart has them
Woolworths has them
Numerous kitchen product suppliers have them.
And most food preparation outlets have them.

So access to large knives is quite simple and easy.

But the grubberment says "lets go after everyone with a knife to show we mean business"

If anything this has made the use of knives Worse than before.

Where will it all end?

We are now given useless blunt, weak wooden knives to eat our meals with and wooden forks that cannot penetrate butter, let alone food.
We are made to feel like criminals all the time (all the better to control us)
Its a total joke.

Instead of targeting the innocent.
Make the law stand firm and PUNISH the ones using them illegally.

I can see a time when Martial Arts is made illegal.
when carrying a walking cane is illegal.
when we are no longer allowed to have knives at home (its already illegal to have one in the car)
Work tools will have to be registered
and the grubberment will have you completely under control.

[Echotech]

My problem, and it is a problem.
Is that they are attacking the wrong thing.

Instead of attacking the problem (people being stabbed and threatened by large kitchen bladed knifes by criminals)

The put a blanket ban on ALL blades regardless of the legitimacy or innocence of the carrier.

If the existing laws were fully enforced and criminals were punished adequately, a blanket knife ban would be stupid.
And just carrying (or not) a knife does not make you dangerous or less threatening.

In the case a of a recent knife attack.
The attacker was brandishing and using a large carving knife (not a multitool or pocket knife)
When the weapon was knocked from his hand by a defender, he ran of and "somehow" managed to find another huge knife with which to threaten people.
This was in a shopping center.

It just so happens that there are a multitude of "knives" throughout every shopping center.
K Mart has them
Woolworths has them
Numerous kitchen product suppliers have them.
And most food preparation outlets have them.

So access to large knives is quite simple and easy.

But the grubberment says "lets go after everyone with a knife to show we mean business"

If anything this has made the use of knives Worse than before.

Where will it all end?

We are now given useless blunt, weak wooden knives to eat our meals with and wooden forks that cannot penetrate butter, let alone food.
We are made to feel like criminals all the time (all the better to control us)
Its a total joke.

Instead of targeting the innocent.
Make the law stand firm and PUNISH the ones using them illegally.

I can see a time when Martial Arts is made illegal.
when carrying a walking cane is illegal.
when we are no longer allowed to have knives at home (its already illegal to have one in the car)
Work tools will have to be registered
and the grubberment will have you completely under control.

Yep, that’s it in a nutshell

[Farmer X]

K Mart has them
Woolworths has them

K-Mart and Woolworth's are still profitable in Australia?

And you're right: punish the fool, not the tool.

[ReamerPunch]

K-Mart and Woolworth's are still profitable in Australia?

And you're right: punish the fool, not the tool.

Woolworths made so much money they're getting sued.

[Farmer X]

They had quite the opposite problem in the States: they made so little money that they tanked!

[Huntsman]

Very, very, very different Woolworths in US, UK, SA and Aus -

They all share the same name but diverged from the parent decades ago

[ReamerPunch]

In Queensland the government introduced "Jack's Law", named after a 19yo kid who was stabbed in the city. It allows Police to use a metal detector on anyone they like in a safe night precinct or public transport hub. The police deploy at the transport hubs and wand EVERYONE. Anyone they find with a knife or Multitool they charge - even if they have a valid excuse for carrying one as set out in Queensland's knife laws. It's up to you then, to argue your case in court. In the one case I've read where that has happened, the prosecutor offered a deal of a guilty plea in exchange for a $100 fine and no criminal conviction recorded. I expect most people will take the deal as pleading innocent means spending extra on court fees and no guarantee that the judge will find in your favor. Apparently the father of Jack is going to NSW to try to convince the premier there to implement Jack's law, as it has been so successful in Queensland, based on them seizing 1000's on knives. In Queenslnad, they're also looking at extending the places where they can use Jack's law to shopping centres.

I can't help but feel that this is wrong, that the government is targeting innocent people who are lawfully carrying a knife, just to make it look like they're being "tough on knife crime". It feels almost like a dumb version of Minority report - where they try to arrest you for a crime that you might commit in future, by acting that if you're carrying a knife, you're automatically up to no good. https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2024/03/28/morayfield-commuter-safety-crackdown/

Jack's Law will soon be implemented in Western Australia. There will be "designated knife wanding areas" like shopping centres, train stations, etc, and police can establish temporary ones, and will be able to search anyone, no concent required. If you are found to be carrying a knife, it's up to 3 years in prison, or $36k fine.

[Farmer X]

I'm all for doing something about crime, but "Jack's Law" takes the wrong approach. My preferred method would be this: you were found guilty, and a knife was used in commission of the crime? Boom, 10-20 years tacked on, just like that!

Those of you who have sent packages to me know I live in a big city. Some areas of that city are pretty sketchy. Banks in those areas often have two sets of doors you have to pass through before entering the lobby. One door locks behind you, and you get a quick scan with a metal detector. Though I've never had issues while carrying a pocket knife, I've always been resentful of those metal detectors. The same could be said of "wanding." If possible, I avoid such locations and circumstances.

I went through my previous posts and noted a point that I forgot to make. As long as I stick with manual folders whose blades are under three inches long, "I like it and I want to carry it" is all the "good cause" I need. I'm pretty fortunate in that regard.

[Vidar]

I want everybody with a sensible cause to be able to carry useful tools without being hassled. On the other hand I don't want baddies to be able to freely roam around with knives. And as even baddies are innocent until proven quilty (of already doing something) that will be after the fact and too late. Thus when politicians want to be proactive we end up with police having rights to search and question any sensible reasons for carry. Sadly it seems to me that what the law considers sensible carry doesn't actually cover what I and many others consider sensible - in the eagerness to sort out wannabe baddies they seem to sort out quite a few others too who actually have fair use.

Today we had some bizarre case over here with a guy going on a rampage with a hand saw and sawing some random person on a beach. I almost expect carrying saws in public to be banned next as a result. Not that it would have made any difference.

 

[Valkie]

I want everybody with a sensible cause to be able to carry useful tools without being hassled. On the other hand I don't want baddies to be able to freely roam around with knives. And as even baddies are innocent until proven quilty (of already doing something) that will be after the fact and too late. Thus when politicians want to be proactive we end up with police having rights to search and question any sensible reasons for carry. Sadly it seems to me that what the law considers sensible carry doesn't actually cover what I and many others consider sensible - in the eagerness to sort out wannabe baddies they seem to sort out quite a few others too who actually have fair use.

Today we had some bizarre case over here with a guy going on a rampage with a hand saw and sawing some random person on a beach. I almost expect carrying saws in public to be banned next as a result. Not that it would have made any difference.

Its already here.
A metal nail file, nail clippers, screw drivers and even a simple mini multitool (no knife) consisting of a pair of pliers and two screwdrivers about 1 inch long  are considered weapons.

A metal pen may be next, or even a set of keys.

The stupidity of blanket enforcement and allowing the brain dead to determine compliance simply makes innocent people criminals.
Do you think criminals give a fig about being caught with a knife in Australia.
They have no $35,000.00 to pay a fine.
They couldn't care less about gaol.
In a large number of cases, they are underage or of the "protected species" and get off with a warning or less anyway.

Imagine a scenario where someone was choking to death and could be saved with a tacheometry.
But no one has anything sharp enough to make the incision?

I work in marine Rescue, we all carry very very sharp knives.
Why? because if we have a vessel in tow and it starts to sink, there is no other way to disengage the tow rope.
You cannot undo the rope under stress, you have to cut it.
In our first aid and resuscitation training we have to have a sharp knife on hand to cut away entanglement and clothing.
its a necessity to have these knives.

Now while the majority of people on the street have little or no training in first aid, a knife could be very useful in many cases.
Imagine a criminal slipping a zip tie around someone's throat, no knife, no saving them, they would suffocate.
Or a child entangled in rope at a playground.
Cutting a seat belt to get someone or yourself out of a car in an accident.
basic repairs and even cutting up fruit, its damn hard to eat an apple with dentures without cutting it up.

Its lazy, stupid and greedy policy to blanket ban something that is only abused by a tiny minority.
Cars are used in hit and runs and people have been run down, do they ban cars?
Why not, they have a potential for some serious damage.
because it would be fiscally suicidal for any grubberment to ban cars.

As I stated, the knives are not the problem.
The few individuals who abuse them are.
And they are not adequately punished for their crimes, so they continue.
Besides, profitability is always hidden in the detail of any grubberment policy, $35,000.00 fines will go a long way for politicians and senior public servants lunch carts.

But its never going to be repealed.
We will never see the days of carrying a very effective tool on our person again in Australia.
And the grubberment will look to banning anything else they can, simply to enforce even more control.
soon walking canes will be banned
Then possibly walking aids on mass.
after all, they don't want old people clogging up the streets and more importantly, getting welfare.
Tools will have to be registered and a license to carry them will be mandated (nice little money spinner licensing is)
Once a forklift license was a one off, now you have to renew every couple of years and its getting more and more expensive.

As with guns, now only the criminals will have them.
as with guns, there is great profit in fining and licensing people.

Mark my words.
Its only the begining.

[Valkie]

Well, it took a little while, but the draconian knife law enforcement has hit NSW.

They say its for our protection...........

Now its virtually impossible to carry a knife in Australia.

Its not as if the grubberment want to truly protect us.
After all, crime is rife in country Australia.
Violent terrorist supporters are holding rallies and threating people every weekend, even setting fires to places of worship.
Road rage is at epidemic levels because everyone is struggling and angry thanks to a collection of self serving politicians and public servants.
We even had a man attacked with a hammer at a local shopping center a few weeks ago, but he apparently picked the wrong guy and copped it worse than the guy he attacked. (but what if it was a woman?)

Violence, rage and intolerance is rife in Australia with our grubberment pitting every minority group against each other, but do they attack the problem?

Nope they ban pocket knives.

The Australia I once knew is stuffed.
My Leatherman and Victornox knives have been relegated to the display cabinet, never to see their true potential again.
The company I work at have banned knives, and only "SAFE" cutters can be used on the premises.

Im glad Im nearly 70 and had all the good years behind me.
Because with the level of draconian enforcement of EVERYTHING going on here, soon you will not have any freedom at all.
Until the revolution.

[nate j]

Sorry to hear that, buddy.

It’s my belief that most (if not all) of us are so over-regulated that it’s absurd.  We’re told that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it, but no one can tell you how many laws there are, let alone what they are.  Here in the US, I don’t think anyone even knows how many government departments there are.

I’m not sure what the solution is, at this point.  Efforts to reduce the number of government departments and government workers would seem to be at least directionally correct.

It’s also my fond hope that one day the US Supreme Court will recognize that Article I, Section 1 of the US Constitution (“All legislative Powers…shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”) inherently prohibits Congress from delegating this power to anyone else, including executive branch agencies.  I think this would go a long way toward untangling the current bureaucratic/regulatory morass.

[Vidar]

From the attached image:

The NSW Government will today introduce legislation modelled on Queensland's 'Jack's Law' which will give Police powers to "wand" or "scan" people for knives without a warrant in designated areas.

The way I read this police will in reality have the aboslute powers to "wand" or "scan" people without a warrant in such designated areas as any knife or not will only be apparent afterwards. And people often carrying other everyday items that detectors will beep about such as keys and phones. Those then will have to be shown, or apparently you can refuse to produce whatever is detected but instead  pay a fine of up to $5500 instead? So if you have plenty of money to throw around you can keep walking around with a knife? Lets hope crime doesn't pay well...

(I predict some upcoming news with people with metals attached in interesting places or surgical implants failing to take them out and show them as required).

A key question is what they do if they do find a knife? Are there clear fair use exceptions for those with actual use for a knife? Any blade lengths or lockless knives excempt?

[Huntsman]

There are exceptions - Similar to the UK laws I believe

Technically I think the law says you must not carry a knife ..... unless you have good reason to do so
And they give a few examples of good reasons: eg Food preparation (eg a chef on his way to work); ceremonial reasons (eg a Scotsman with a kilt on and a dirk in his sock); sporting reasons - eg going fishing; I am sure Valkie, when he is on rescue duty, would be an exception  - There maybe a few others

As always with these laws, and even though they can search you at any time without any reason, there is a lot you can do to not get searched and maybe keep your SAK in your pocket - ie be a boring old man (like me ); in a safe area of town; not in a sports arena, or concert hall; during the daytime; and behaving impeccably on the streets (eg not drunk, shouting, driving badly etc etc) 
- And if you are going to do or be any of these things (eg go to a pub in a rough area of town at night time) - Do not have your SAK in your pocket.

[ReamerPunch]

Looks like I'll go bladeless sooner than I thought.

[nate j]

There are exceptions…ceremonial reasons (eg a Scotsman with a kilt on and a dirk in his sock)…

I think I could get used to a kilt and a sgian dubh on the daily if that were the only way I could go about with a knife unmolested.

Maybe something like this…
https://claymoreimports.com/the-officer-multi-tool-sgian-dubh-with-badge/

[Huntsman]

  - I can't wait to see the pictures

[Valkie]

I think I could get used to a kilt and a sgian dubh on the daily if that were the only way I could go about with a knife unmolested.

Maybe something like this…
https://claymoreimports.com/the-officer-multi-tool-sgian-dubh-with-badge/

In Australia, that would be a concealed weapon and get you gaol time, no problem.

They have lost the plot.
But anyone can carry a weapon if they truly want one, and the "authorities" are powerless to stop them.

I carry a Cogach with me whenever I travel to places where I feel there may be opportunity for trouble.
I'm 66 years old and even though I have been a black belt for over 30 years, self defense would be, at best, difficult for an old fart like me with my back issues.

The Cogach is a traditional English staff, longer than a cane and generally a little more sturdy.
Importantly used in hilly or uneven ground to keep ones balance (but was also known to be used as a weapon when required).

I have been stopped by "authorities" for carrying this cane, but they back down when I get antsy about impinging on my disability (I have damaged vertebrae and several blown discs).
I also occasionally carry one of several other "walking sticks" Shillelagh made out of tree roots and small trees, probably better described as lacquered clubs, but with rubber bumpers on the base magically transforming them into "walking sticks".

And of course there are my standard brass/ solid silver headed walking sticks, my current favorite being my brass skull mounted on a blackthorn shaft. Not something to get within range of I would suggest.

Would I ever use a knife for self defense?
Not a bloody chance in Hell.
far too permanent and with my training, almost guaranteed nasty for any I used it on.

Canes, clubs and staff can be used with more precision to disinterest, injure or disable attackers as required.
With far less chance of terminal results.
My father was attacked by three thugs on a train station when he was 80.
These cowards beat him and threw him down a flight of stairs.
It was all caught on CCTV, but they somehow managed to get off any serious time.
My father was laid up for two months and was afraid to go out as often as he used to after that.

I will not be afraid.
I will be the one standing over the attackers laughing as they did my father.
But never with a knife, a knife is a tool.
to me at least.

[nate j]

My comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek.

I too find it puzzling that a Vic Classic will get confiscated as a weapon, but a stout hickory cane goes through as a mobility aid.

I also carry knives as tools, not weapons.  I’m fortunate to live in a place where I can carry virtually any knife I want; even automatics are legal here now.

Would I ever use a knife for self-defense?  Ultimately, if I ever had to fight for my life, I would use whatever was to hand to the best of my ability.  I also feel fortunate that, while there are a few places that are off limits, I am mostly free to legally go about my state with a pistol in my pocket if/when I choose.

[Valkie]

My comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek.

I too find it puzzling that a Vic Classic will get confiscated as a weapon, but a stout hickory cane goes through as a mobility aid.

I also carry knives as tools, not weapons.  I’m fortunate to live in a place where I can carry virtually any knife I want; even automatics are legal here now.

Would I ever use a knife for self-defense?  Ultimately, if I ever had to fight for my life, I would use whatever was to hand to the best of my ability.  I also feel fortunate that, while there are a few places that are off limits, I am mostly free to legally go about my state with a pistol in my pocket if/when I choose.

Guns were the first thing the Australian Grubberment banned, and small handguns frighten them so bad that they slap maximum penalties on anyone carrying them.

Now, the only people who have guns are cops and criminals, which possibly could be considered the same demographic in some states.

Even carrying rounds is prohibited and will land you in gaol.
And don't even think of wearing a ballistic vest or even owning one, that is also a gaolable offence.

Then there are "illegal" weapons, the ownership of which (even at home) is prohibited.
Butterfly knives, Nun chucks, spears, daggers, "zombie" knives, assisted deployment knives and throwing stars, to name a few.

The Victornox Classic is also considered a "dangerous weapon" by our courts.
Although few cops would bother you unless you were being an smurfhole.

And, as I stated, at my place of employment, knives are no longer allowed to be carried at all.
Only "Safety knives" are used to open packages.
When did Australians get so pathetic?
Imagine Crocodile Dundee if it was made today, "Thats not a knife, but I cant show you what one looks like because I'm not allowed to carry one"

I also find it somewhat hypocritical that the police, border force and detectives carry knives.
Every officer has a Leatherman on his belt, and border force officers I know carry knives as do some detectives.
These aren't weapons, but tools.

Sadly, I cannot see a day when draconian law enforcement in Australia will get any better.
Hell, our idiot prime minister wanted to implement Disinformation laws preventing people spreading what they saw as misinformation (by their definition, by a collection of public servants with uncontrolled power).
The only people not mandated under these laws would have been the Grubberment and their media cronies.
Hello thought police 1984.

They will eventually get what they want, they always do.
They are working on it through the back door now with "safety laws" and media control for children.
But to use the media, you will have to prove you aren't a child, so you will have to hand over your identification, and we all know why, its so they know who to come after if you bag out the grubberment.

You can still buy knives in Australia, for now, but in time ..............

[nate j]

Imagine Crocodile Dundee if it was made today, "Thats not a knife, but I cant show you what one looks like because I'm not allowed to carry one"

but also 


Yea, the whole mis/disinformation thing is pretty wild.  I’m hopeful that, after some very high profile “misses”, it has been discredited throughly enough that we won’t have to hear any more about it.  Open debate is healthy and the lifeblood of democracies.

Some examples:

- The theory that COVID-19 was created in a lab in China and then (probably accidentally) released was once flagged as mis/disinformation.  Based on reports and data available today, it seems this is at least a plausible theory, if not the most likely explanation.

- The Hunter Biden laptop story was similarly flagged as fabricated/planted.  Except, that, oops, it turned out to be totally true.

[Huntsman]

In Australia, that would be a concealed weapon and get you gaol time, no problem.

I reckon you could get away with the Skean dubh

Here's the law ....

(3) A reasonable excuse includes the person having the knife in the person’s custody—
(a) because it is reasonably necessary for—
(i) the lawful pursuit of the person’s occupation, education or training, or
(ii) the preparation or consumption of food or drink, or
(iii) participation in a lawful entertainment, recreation or sport, or
(iv) the exhibition of knives for retail or other trade purposes, or
(v) an organised exhibition by knife collectors, or
(vi) the wearing of an official uniform, or
(vii) genuine religious purposes, or

Reference

Would full highland dress count as (vi) or (vii)?     
Or I guess I could claim (v) as in:
It's an official MTo Meet-up and I am going to meet ReamerPunch and Echotech to show them my latest multitool purchases !!         

[nate j]

Surely, we ought to have an official Swiss Army Knights uniform that includes at least one SAK.
 

[Valkie]

I reckon you could get away with the Skean dubh

Here's the law ....
Would full highland dress count as (vi) or (vii)?     
Or I guess I could claim (v) as in:
It's an official MTo Meet-up and I am going to meet ReamerPunch and Echotech to show them my latest multitool purchases !!         

Reference

The truth be known, these "Knife laws" serve more than one purpose.
It gives the police the right to search "Anyone" without any real reason to do so that they have never had before.

Everyone carries keys, a phone and sometimes something else made of metal that would set off their wands.
This then gives them the "authority" to search the person with more intent.

this has been recognized and they smile and say, "well, if you are carrying something deemed illegal that's your own fault"
Soon these powers will spread until you are forced to carry an ID or if you belong to any identified group, or wandering outside you allotted area. You may end up having to wear a star, crucifix or something to identify you as from another area outside your allotted space. or simply to  identify you as a potential threat to society based on their perceptions or the flavor of the month for these numpties.

This is an extract of news item recently.....

Have they worked elsewhere?
Queensland Police statistics showed 641 weapons were confiscated as a result of more than 66,000 scans carried out in a 14 month period.

That means weapons were found in about one in every 100 scans.

Is that a success?

Margo van Felius was part of a team that reviewed Queensland's initial trial of the laws.

The detective-turned-Griffith University criminology lecturer said every knife taken off the streets was a good thing, and that feelings of community safety increased as a result of the trial.

"But … we couldn't find whether that was because of the wanding, or whether that was because there were more police officers on the beat," Dr van Felius said.

So are they a good idea?
There's no definitive answer because, as the Griffith University team reported, there is an inherent tension in laws like this.

"There is just two sides of the coin here. One side is searching people without reasonable suspicion, which impacts on human rights," Dr van Felius said.

"The other side of the coin is ... wanding does allow police a greater detection of knives.

"But you're only going to find these knives on that person if you are, obviously, wanding that person."

The Griffith review also noted "net widening" as a concern when people are wanded.

"They might have keys in their pocket so then they were asked to empty their pockets," Dr van Felius said.

"They then also might have a little bag of cannabis or some other drugs."

It means where police would normally need to meet certain criteria to search someone for drugs, they were able to conduct a type of search without meeting those thresholds.

Every inch is an inch closer to total control

[nate j]

Queensland Police statistics showed 641 weapons were confiscated

I’m curious how many of these were run-of-the-mill pocket knives.

The detective-turned-Griffith University criminology lecturer said every knife taken off the streets was a good thing.

If we give this sort of vapid nonsense the standing of a logical argument, nearly anything can be justified.
 

[Valkie]

I’m curious how many of these were run-of-the-mill pocket knives.

If we give this sort of vapid nonsense the standing of a logical argument, nearly anything can be justified.
 

It would be interesting to know this information, and what the person carrying them actually planned to use them for.
As a boy scout in the 60-70s we always carried a small folding knife on our belt.
We used them for many things, but I can never remember them ever being used as a weapon.
My father, a gentleman and a gentle man, always carried a small knife.
He had few teeth and loved fruit, so he used it to cut up his fruit.
there is no way on earth he would consider using it as a weapon.

But its the same with "speeding" in Australia.
They go on and on about speed kills etc.
But a few years ago they were forced to admit that over 90% of speeding fines were for less than 10kph over the limit.
(Truth be known, the greater portion were under 5kph)

So they have changed tactics now.
We are now advised that even 1 kph over some "out of the hat" speed limit is dangerous.
They advertise this as "Casual Speeding" and we are blanketed about how this is a dreadful killer.
In reality, they are using it to justify their draconian speed enforcement, but the road toll is still rising because of the pathetic roads we are expected to drive on rather than speed.

Knife laws were originally introduced as a "control" of people who may use knives as weapons.
Mostly from newcomers to Australia, most born and bread Aussies would never use a knife in a fight, they just use their fists.
But, and I stress this strongly, all knife crime that I am aware of has been committed by people who have used huge fixed bladed knives, machete or swords.
I'll bet, ten bob to a trade bit, that no multitool has ever been used as a weapon, they just aren't suited to it, either ergonomically or intimidatory enough.

When I was younger, I used to hunt feral pigs.
One of the professional hunters never carried a knife larger than a small 4 inch fixed blade.
He used a 12 inch sharpened screwdriver to dispatch any pigs that were still kicking.
In his words
"Easier to use, easier to penetrate the flesh and got good and deep to the heart"
There was also less blood and mess.

We are stuck with knife laws in Australia, draconian as they are.
I will still carry a multitool (when I think I can legally justify it)
But its sad to think that because the grubberment won't punish TRUE knife crime properly, they will make everyone a criminal.
It won't stop knife crime, the same as draconian gun laws haven't stopped shootings.
It just changes the profitability of it, gives them more power and makes it look like they are doing something.

First comes wands, then you will need to carry your "papers", then you will need a star or some other visual representation of who or what you are.
THEN THE REAL PERSICUTION WILL START

[SteveC]

First comes wands, then you will need to carry your "papers", then you will need a star or some other visual representation of who or what you are.
THEN THE REAL PERSICUTION WILL START

This thread is veering into the political and basically a rant against the government. The forum is not the place for this type of thing.

[nate j]

But its the same with "speeding" in Australia.
They go on and on about speed kills etc.
But a few years ago they were forced to admit that over 90% of speeding fines were for less than 10kph over the limit.
(Truth be known, the greater portion were under 5kph)

So they have changed tactics now.
We are now advised that even 1 kph over some "out of the hat" speed limit is dangerous.
They advertise this as "Casual Speeding" and we are blanketed about how this is a dreadful killer.
In reality, they are using it to justify their draconian speed enforcement, but the road toll is still rising because of the pathetic roads we are expected to drive on rather than speed.

That’s wild.  I feel like, even if one uses the cruise control, speed is going to vary by 3-5 mph / 5-8 kph.

Generally speaking around here, one needs to be going at least 15 mph / 24 kph over the speed limit to get pulled over.

[Valkie]

That’s wild.  I feel like, even if one uses the cruise control, speed is going to vary by 3-5 mph / 5-8 kph.

Generally speaking around here, one needs to be going at least 15 mph / 24 kph over the speed limit to get pulled over.

In Victoria, even 1 kph over the limit will get you a fine.