Give women tasers and pepper spray to stop violence: Senator
A Queensland senator’s motion to allow Australian women to arm themselves with tasers, pepper spray and mace against would-be rapists and murderers has been comprehensively voted down.
In the Senate on Thursday, Katter’s Australia Party senator Fraser Anning moved for the government to relax import laws for the weapons in response to horrific crimes against women.
He wanted state governments to legalise and promote the carrying of pepper spray, mace and tasers by women for “political protection”.
Greens senator Janet Rice slammed Senator Anning’s “blundering, ill-conceived” motion.
“The last thing that women in Australia need now is another man in power telling us that we are responsible for violence against us,” Senator Rice told parliament.
Turns out most politicians don't think pepper spray is the solution to a "recent spate of horrific violent crimes against women" as the motion failed. Fraser Anning, David Leyonhjelm, Peter Georgiou, Brian Burston and Cory Bernardi supported it. pic.twitter.com/XOArWzddP8
— Gina Rushton (@ginarush) June 28, 2018
She said he was putting the onus on women to go to extreme lengths to combat violence rather than addressing men’s crimes.
Violent offences against women have shocked Australia in recent years, headlined by the recent rape and murder of Melbourne comedian Eurydice Dixon.
In his notice, Senator Anning said the weapons would give women security and confidence to know they would not become “just another assault, rape or murder statistic”.
Government minister James McGrath said the government had no plans to relax weapons importation laws. The opposition also opposed the idea.
“It is ludicrous to suggest that more weapons will make women safer,” Labor’s Anthony Chisholm said.
The motion was defeated 46-5, with Senator Anning, One Nation’s Peter Georgiou and conservative independents Cory Bernardi, David Leyonhjelm and Brian Burston the only supporters.
Last week, a motion from Senator Anning condemning safe zones around abortion clinics in NSW was also defeated, by 34 votes to 17.
-AAP
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