Surprise, surprise: the Australian Government just voted against Labor’s motion to hang the Aboriginal flag in parliament for NAIDOC week.
Even though we are in the middle of NAIDOC week, a motion to hang the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in parliament has been rejected in the senate.
Labor pushed for the two flags to be hung along with the Australian flag, but the government and cross-benchers voted against the motion 28-29, claiming the only “appropriate” flag to be hung in the senate is the Australian flag.
Of course, the fact that the decision comes in the middle of NAIDOC week, an annual week devoted to celebrating the history, achievements, and culture of Indigenous peoples, only rubs salt in the wound.
this was the explanation from Liberal senator Anne Ruston, for voting against the motion to fly the Aboriginal and Torrest Strait Islander flags in the Senate
she said the government believed the national flag was the only one “appropriate” to fly in the Senate pic.twitter.com/RQMXcBROKF
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) November 10, 2020
Liberal senator Anne Ruston defended the decision saying, “There are many places and circumstances to appropriately display the flags of our nations, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
“The government believes that the Australian national flag, that represents all Australians, is the only appropriate flag to be flown in the Senate chamber.”
https://twitter.com/mrgnarchrSCL/status/1326034045604560899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1326034045604560899%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fjunkee.com%2Findigenous-flag-vote-senate%2F278132
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flags are national flags of Australia, recognised under the Flags Act 1953. All three flags are flying outside Parliament House during NAIDOC Week, yet not inside the two houses of parliament.
Federal Parliament refuse to fly the Aboriginal Flag. Happy Naidoc week 🙄 vote happening now. LNP have absolutely no shame.
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) November 10, 2020
The request is not the only one to be made in the last week, with New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian calling for a change to the lyrics of the Australian National Anthem.
Berejiklian, who doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to Indigenous affairs, believes a change from “young and free” to “we are one and free” is needed to better reflect Australia’s Indigenous history.
Whilst Ms Berejiklian’s intentions may (or may not) be well and good, we can’t help but think a little more needs to be done to reflect Indigenous history than a simple word change.
https://twitter.com/WhiteLiesMatta/status/1326357001664831488
It may be NAIDOC week, but sadly the Australian Government is making little effort to acknowledge our Indigenous history in a time that we should be celebrating it.
The 3 Black Senators respectfully request for the Aboriginal flag to be flown in the spirit of Naidoc week and the colonial oppression reared it’s ugly violent head.
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) November 10, 2020
