Following a stabbing incident in Queensland where a Coles employee was attacked with a knife obtained from a store, Coles has taken the unprecedented step of removing all kitchen knives from its supermarkets nationwide. The company cited increasing aggression and violence in stores as the reason for this precautionary measure. This incident has reignited the debate around knife crime legislation and prompted calls for uniform laws across Australia.
Coles has made the decision to remove all kitchen knives from its supermarkets across Australia following an incident in Queensland where a staff member was stabbed. The attack occurred on Monday afternoon in an Ipswich store, south-west of Brisbane, when a teenager allegedly obtained a knife from the store and randomly attacked a 63-year-old worker. The victim remains in a critical but stable condition at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.
In a statement, Coles emphasized that the safety of its team members and customers is paramount and that this withdrawal is a precautionary measure while they conduct a review. While Coles complies with all legislation regarding the sale of kitchen knives, the company has chosen to take this action due to the increasing levels of aggression and violence in stores. Coles will continue to make SMEG knives available for redemption from its service desks until January 21, due to an ongoing promotion. The company has implemented a risk assessment and reintroduced a smaller range of knives in tamper-proof packaging, but these are still withheld from sale in approximately 350 supermarkets, including 60 in Queensland. The incident has sparked a wider debate about knife crime and legislation in Australia. Other supermarket chains, such as Woolworths, have expressed their support for the victim and condemned the violence. Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has reiterated his commitment to introduce uniform knife laws across Australia if the Coalition wins the upcoming election. The incident has also reignited the debate over Queensland’s law and order policies. Premier David Crisafulli has insisted that the offence of attempted murder was not overlooked by the government and will be considered by a future expert panel. However, Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles criticized the government’s approach, arguing that the laws were rushed and lacked substance. Queensland has also expanded police wanding powers to allow random searches for knives at more sites, although wanding has been more successful at detecting drugs than knives. The LNP has pledged to scrap drug diversion programs, a move that is likely to raise further concerns about the government’s approach to crime and social issues
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