Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last week Australia celebrated National Flag Day. Now, few Australians may fly the Australian flag in their backyard, but many of us wear it, whether it be on caps, capes, thongs or T-shirts. And why not! We love Australia and we love to celebrate the fact that we live in what is, indisputably, the greatest nation on earth. Whatever background they come from, Australians share a joy of their good luck from being born in this great nation. But what does our flag say about Australia? What does it say to us? What does it say to our region? My view is that the Australian flag represents the country that we once were, not the nation that we have now become.

The Australian flag was first flown in September 1901 at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, the then seat of the federal government. The flag was one of two winning designs from an international competition. Edmund Barton is claimed to have said it encapsulated 'the Australian identity and pride'. Australian identity was much different then than it is today. Consider that in June of that year, Edmund Barton introduced the bill for the Immigration Restriction Act into that same parliament—a bill that formed the basis of what was better known as the White Australia policy.

We have come along way since then. Australia is a nation transformed. Approximately 15 per cent of all Australians were born in Asia, with many more claiming Asian heritage. In total over one in four Australians is born overseas. Hindu is our fastest growing religion. China is our largest trading partner, our second is Japan, our fourth is Korea and our fifth is Singapore. First- and second-generation Asian Australians are making significant contributions on the international stage. Jason Day, the PGA tour's hottest player, is of Filipino heritage. This year's Asian Cup player of the tournament, Australia's Massimo Luongo, is of Italian and Indonesian heritage. Guy Sebastian has Malay Tamil heritage. Terence Tao, a Fields Medal winner, is of Chinese Australian heritage. Silicon Valley CEO Tan Le is of Vietnamese and Australian heritage. Political philosopher Tim Soutphommasane has Chinese and Laotian heritage.

What does the fact that the Union Jack remains on Australia's flag say to them? Does this represent them? Does this reflect them on the international stage? Few Australians would say that we are not a far greater nation today than we were in the time of Edmund Barton. But, if we can acknowledge that we have changed since those times and acknowledge that the Australian identity has changed since the Federation parliament, can we also not acknowledge that we need to update our national symbols—that we, like Canada and as New Zealand is currently doing, need to engage in a discussion about whether we as a nation can come together and adopt a flag that better represents the nation that we have become and better reflects the diverse, multicultural, open society that we now are? I hope that in future on National Flag Day we will be able to celebrate such a flag.

See this speech in context