OK, first of all, it's not the Australian government doing this (which is a Liberal/National Coalition government and is conservative in nature). Rather it's the government of one state - Victoria - which has a Labor government - a socialist government).
Secondly, since the Police Minister made these statements nearly four months ago, the position has changed quite substantially. Swords will be added to the prohibited weapons list in Victoria. However, this does not mean swords have been made illegal - the prohibited weapons list doesn't actually prohibit weapons, despite its name.
Basically the only effect this change is going to have in reality is that minors won't be able to buy such weapons, and some slight differences on how the law deals with people who misuse them, or use them to commit crimes.
One example - a few weeks ago a nutcase with a sword attacked two policemen in Melbourne. They shot him and he died.
Now, obviously, a police shooting, needs to be investigated.
If swords had been on the PW list, the investigation would be over by now. He attacked police with a weapon. He was shot. End of story.
Because swords are not on the list, they've had to prove that they were attacked with a weapon, before they can even use the defence that they were attacked with a weapon.
What the changes don't do, though, is ban swords or make swords illegal. It just makes it easier for them to be treated as weapons in law, when they are used as weapons.
There's a *lot* of 'weapons' on the list that are sold openly and openly possessed.
The Police Minister wanted to do more - but he failed.
It's pretty much a non-story being stirred up by some people.
Now *if* the Minister decides to start prosecuting people, then there would be a story. But I doubt he's going to. They don't prosecute people for carrying knives and they've been on the list about 15 years.
Ah! Thanks for the clarification.