This morning, at the Victorian Liberal Party’s annual conference, Opposition Leader Brad Battin unveiled a bold and controversial crime crackdown plan centered on introducing “Jack’s Law.”
Originally enacted in Queensland after the fatal stabbing of teenager Jack Beasley outside a Gold Coast supermarket, the law would give Victoria Police and Public Safety Officers sweeping powers to randomly search people for knives or other weapons anywhere, anytime—including knife-crime hotspots, transport hubs, and shopping centers
Battin vowed that if elected in 2026, he would urgently recall parliament after the election to pass the law before Christmas. He highlighted that over 10,000 dangerous knives have already been seized in Victoria under existing limited powers, while in Queensland, Jack’s Law removed nearly 1,200 weapons from the streets and led to more than 3,200 arrests.
The proposal is part of a $100 million strategy that includes two major initiatives: Restart, a live-in, discipline-based rehabilitation program for repeat offenders aged 12–17, and Youthstart, which invests in proven community-based interventions such as trauma-informed therapy, mentoring, diversion programs, and family case management. Battin criticized Premier Jacinta Allan’s government for spending $13 million on machete disposal bins, arguing, “Violent offenders aren’t going to stroll into a police station and drop their weapons.”
While some Liberal MPs have questioned whether the focus on crime sidelines other issues like cost-of-living pressures and state debt, Premier Allan admitted earlier this week that “more must be done” to address youth violence and flagged possible new police powers. A former police officer himself, Battin framed the upcoming election as a referendum on community safety, declaring, “We are in a fight for the future we want—and it’s a fight we must win.”
