A senior government MP has no interest in debate over pulling the Union Jack off the Australian flag, as a powerful union looks set to press the issue at Labor’s National Conference.
Labor’s triennial major policy-setting conference kicks off on Thursday, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union has flagged it will move a motion to scrap the Union Jack from the national flag.
The influential union says the British symbol is a sign of “the old ruling class and colonial empire” and a symbol of oppression.
Appearing on Sunrise on Wednesday, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil was repeatedly asked if she would vote yes or no on a flag change proposal, continually dodging the question until finally saying she did not support a change.
On the eighth time of asking by Sunrise host Nat Barr, Ms O’Neil finally said her view was no, the Union Jack should remain.
“Nat, sorry, it’s not something that I’ve had a moment to think about,” Ms O’Neil said to one of the earlier questions.
“I’m telling you, as Housing Minister, I don’t spend my time thinking about the national flag.
“I spend my time thinking about the fact that we’ve got home ownership rates plummeting through the floor for young people, and our government is making really major steps to address that situation.”
As Ms O’Neil diverted questions over the flag to answers about housing, Barr reminded her how little time was left in the segment.
“We can walk and chew gum at once, so yes or no on changing the Union Jack,” Barr pressed.
“It’s been in the paper today, you’ve got a head start. Yes or no?
“This feels like the Albanese government is not ruling out a change in the flag.
“The flag, the Union Jack, should we take it off the flag? Clare, last chance.”
Bar finally got her wish, with Ms O’Neil eventually responding: “My personal view is no Nat, but I’m not going to get into a debate about that. The government’s focused on the things that people at home are caring about.”
Appearing opposite her Labor counterpart, Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie swooped.
“I’m really proud of our country, and I don’t know why the Labor Party and their union backers are continually trashing our country and our heritage,” Senator McKenzie said.
“We should be very proud of our British heritage, and our flag represents not only our British heritage.
“With the Union Jack and the three crosses of our British heritage, but also, importantly, the Southern Cross, which uniquely speaks to our ancient heritage here in Australia.”
Senator McKenzie then claimed Australia would not be a parliamentary democracy without British colonisation.
“If it wasn’t for our British heritage, we wouldn’t be in a parliamentary democracy where our constitution guarantees that the people can throw Clare and I out or vote us in according to the job we do,” she said.
“We wouldn’t be as free and fair as we are. We wouldn’t be equal under the law as we all are in this country.
“So if I was at the Labor Party conference, Clair, I wouldn’t find it very hard to say. It’s a hard no to changing the flag.”
The union has signalled its representatives will put forward a motion at the conference to change the 125-year-old flag.
“We need to strip away the constant reminders of the old ruling class and colonial empire,” the union’s policy proposal states.
“Symbols of oppression, like the Union Jack on our flag and offensive colonial statues, must be removed from public life.”
The union’s proposals also include calls for better solidarity with Indigenous Australians, higher top marginal tax rates, wealth and inheritance taxes, much higher taxes on gas exports and universally free essential services.
Speaking to Sunrise later in the morning, independent federal MP Dai Le rubbished any notion of scrapping the Union Jack.
Ms Le wore an Australia flag dress into parliament for her maiden speech in 2022.
“What that failed voice referendum told the government was that the government has to focus on the lives of people, not about symbolic moves and policies,” Ms Le said on Wednesday.
“I’m very proud as a refugee; it’s a flag that has welcomed myself and my family … It’s a flag that represents this country that’s given them a second chance.”
The union should focus on retaining Australian manufacturing jobs, Ms Le said.
“All countries have a dark past and what you do is you acknowledge it. And it’s something
that we acknowledge, and we do that every year through our reconciliation,” she said.
“But we need to work on and focus on lives and businesses and people to enable them to really provide for their family.”