Should women be given a taser gun to protect themselves?
Should women be given a taser gun to protect themselves? The Chronicle/Nev Madsen

'Give women tasers, pepper spray to stop rapes'

A Queensland senator wants to arm Australian women with tasers, pepper spray and mace to defend themselves against would-be rapists and murderers.

Katter's Australia Party senator Fraser Anning moved a motion in the Senate on Thursday calling on the government to relax import laws for the weapons in response to horrific crimes against women.

He wants state governments to legalise and promote the carrying of pepper spray, mace and tasers by women for personal 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.

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.

Senator Anning believes the weapons will give women security and confidence so they will not become another assault, rape or murder statistic.

Government minister James McGrath said the government had no plans to relax weapons importation laws, while 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.