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\u2019s National Conference.<\/p>\n
Labor\u2019s triennial major policy-setting conference kicks off on Thursday, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers\u2019 Union has flagged it will move a motion to scrap the Union Jack from the national flag.<\/p>\n
The influential union says the British symbol is a sign of \u201cthe old ruling class and colonial empire\u201d and a symbol of oppression.<\/p>\n
Appearing on Sunrise on Wednesday, Housing Minister Clare O\u2019Neil 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.<\/p>\n
On the eighth time of asking by Sunrise host Nat Barr, Ms O\u2019Neil finally said her view was no, the Union Jack should remain.<\/p>\n
\u201cNat, sorry, it\u2019s not something that I\u2019ve had a moment to think about,\u201d Ms O\u2019Neil said to one of the earlier questions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m telling you, as Housing Minister, I don\u2019t spend my time thinking about the national flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spend my time thinking about the fact that we\u2019ve got home ownership rates plummeting through the floor for young people, and our government is making really major steps to address that situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Ms O\u2019Neil diverted questions over the flag to answers about housing, Barr reminded her how little time was left in the segment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can walk and chew gum at once, so yes or no on changing the Union Jack,\u201d Barr pressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been in the paper today, you\u2019ve got a head start. Yes or no?<\/p>\n
\u201cThis feels like the Albanese government is not ruling out a change in the flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe flag, the Union Jack, should we take it off the flag? Clare, last chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bar finally got her wish, with Ms O\u2019Neil eventually responding: \u201cMy personal view is no Nat, but I\u2019m not going to get into a debate about that. The government\u2019s focused on the things that people at home are caring about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Appearing opposite her Labor counterpart, Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie swooped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really proud of our country, and I don\u2019t know why the Labor Party and their union backers are continually trashing our country and our heritage,\u201d Senator McKenzie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should be very proud of our British heritage, and our flag represents not only our British heritage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senator McKenzie then claimed Australia would not be a parliamentary democracy without British colonisation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for our British heritage, we wouldn\u2019t 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be as free and fair as we are. We wouldn\u2019t be equal under the law as we all are in this country.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if I was at the Labor Party conference, Clair, I wouldn\u2019t find it very hard to say. It\u2019s a hard no to changing the flag.\u201d<\/p>\n
The union has signalled its representatives will put forward a motion at the conference to change the 125-year-old flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to strip away the constant reminders of the old ruling class and colonial empire,\u201d the union\u2019s policy proposal states.<\/p>\n
\u201cSymbols of oppression, like the Union Jack on our flag and offensive colonial statues, must be removed from public life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The union\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Sunrise later in the morning, independent federal MP Dai Le rubbished any notion of scrapping the Union Jack.<\/p>\n
Ms Le wore an Australia flag dress into parliament for her maiden speech in 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat 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,\u201d Ms Le said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very proud as a refugee; it\u2019s a flag that has welcomed myself and my family \u2026 It\u2019s a flag that represents this country that\u2019s given them a second chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The union should focus on retaining Australian manufacturing jobs, Ms Le said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll countries have a dark past and what you do is you acknowledge it. And it\u2019s something <\/p>\n
that we acknowledge, and we do that every year through our reconciliation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we need to work on and focus on lives and businesses and people to enable them to really provide for their family.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A senior government MP has no interest in debate over pulling the Union Jack off the Australian 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