Peter Dutton calls for John Howard approach to knife crime

Opposition leader Peter Dutton, says politicians should find inspiration in the actions John Howard took after the Port Arthur massacre, when dealing with knife crime.

His comments come after Victoria Police appealed for assistance after a man allegedly abducted a woman and her child at knife-point while at a shopping centre in Melbourne’s south-east last week.

“I do think we need a national approach, we need to clamp down on who is the purchaser, is it a young person – why on earth do you need a hunting knife if you’re living in a city, you aren’t a hunter, you’re known to police?” he questioned.

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He says  while knife-crime won’t be completely solved, the government should still try.

“If you’re serious, you can make a difference,” he added.

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Image: Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images.