Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on the grievance debate this afternoon to speak about recent media reports that have shocked me—in fact, they have appalled me and many of my constituents in my electorate of Maranoa. These are hardworking Australians, decent people. The issue I want to talk about is the Australian flag.

An Australia wide socialist youth group called Resistance has developed a flag-burning kit that is to be sold during university orientation weeks across Australia. These kits include an Australian flag, matches and material to assist in the burning of the flag. They are going to be sold for $5.

Pat Farmer (Macarthur, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Science and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How stupid are they?

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the parliamentary secretary at the table says: how stupid is that? Not only is it irresponsible but it absolutely appals me—and I think it appals 99.99 per cent of Australians, all but those who belong to this socialist group of young people, who think that they know all about life and the fight that was had by so many Australians to defend our freedoms and give us the lucky country that we have today. This Resistance group says that burning the flag will send a message to the federal government. Its press release states:

The Flag Burning kit displays the sentiment that many young people today feel, given the Australian government’s—

listen to this!—

racist refugee policy; its treatment of Indigenous people; its use of violence against protesters; its support of US foreign policy; and its oppressive military role in the Asia-Pacific.

These people just do not live in the real world. If they want to live in socialist countries, perhaps they ought to try to migrate and see what it is really like to live in some countries that are certainly less fortunate than we are here in Australia.

We all have the right to freedom of speech in this country; it is a democratic principle by which we all live—it is one that is valued, and we must cherish it and protect it. But not only is the act of burning the national flag appalling; it is disrespectful to the nation and to all our people. The Australian flag symbolises many things for many people. For our returned men and women of the Australian Defence Force it symbolises their mates whose lives were tragically cut short while fighting for their county, for our freedom, for a better way of life, for the right to speak out in this country. For athletes—and we have seen them at the Winter Olympics in Turin—it symbolises their honour and pride in representing their country on an international level. For someone migrating to Australia and taking out Australian citizenship it symbolises a new start in life. For actors, musicians, dancers and artists who are on the international stage and living abroad, it symbolises home. For the everyday Aussie it symbolises freedom, democracy, mateship, the have-a-go attitude and all our country’s values and traditions. In essence, the Australian flag is the one symbol that unites all Australians, regardless of their religious, political or ethnic background or belief. Over time, appreciation for the flag and what it symbolises has developed as the nation has matured.

Over the past two weeks we have seen the Australian flag flying high in Turin, Italy, at the 2006 Winter Olympics. I saw the opening ceremony. I saw Alisa Camplin, who was a gold medallist at the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City, leading the Australian team into the arena carrying the Australian flag. She won the bronze medal for the women’s aerials at this Winter Olympics. I know that when she marched in there she felt a great sense of pride and a great sense of honour because she was representing Australia. The symbol for all the world to see that led them into the arena was the Australian flag. Early this morning on television here in Australia Dale Begg-Smith, aged 21, the gold medallist in the men’s moguls, led the Australian team into the arena carrying the Australian flag. I am sure that all who saw that felt a great sense of pride in what it is to be Australian—a great sense of pride that, when the flag came into the arena at Turin, that was the Australian team. The symbol was there; the flag was there. Those young Australians, our team, who followed those leaders—Dale Begg-Smith and Alisa Camplin—were following because they were Australian and representing Australia abroad.

In a few weeks time the Commonwealth Games will be held in Melbourne. Commonwealth countries from around the world will gather. Sportsmen and women will be there competing against each other. And the spirit under which they will compete is that spirit of sportsmanship, of being able to compete against each other openly and freely. They too, and I am sure all Australians, will feel a sense of pride when Australians are successful at the Commonwealth Games. When the Australian flag is raised at medal ceremonies they will feel a great sense of honour that our Australian athletes have done well against other Commonwealth countries in competition.

Only last week I attended an official flag raising ceremony at St John’s school in my home town of Roma in my electorate. The flagpole that we were dedicating and raising the flag up was a condition of funding from the Commonwealth to all schools in Australia. If those schools do not have a flagpole, the Commonwealth will fund those flagpoles. It is a great program. In watching those young students of St John’s school in Roma, I felt a great sense of pride—as I have at other schools in my electorate—as they carried the flag out. They felt the sense of ownership of this flag. They treated it with dignity and respect. They were proud children as they raised that flag. As it was raised to the top, we played the national anthem.

The Australian flag represents many things. One of them is one of those eternal values that will help children and support parents and teachers at schools like St John’s to ensure that children grow up with a sense of value of what it is to be Australian and what is symbolised in the Australian flag.

Australians are proud of their heritage and they are proud to fly the Australian flag. Almost every day around this nation, wherever you see the flag flying, you see that there is a pride in Australia. It is the flag that does it for me, and I believe it does it for thousands and thousands of Australians. I would like to think we could see the flag on every street corner.

I have visited America and had the privilege of spending time there. If ever there is a country that is patriotic and supports its flag, it is America. Perhaps we have taken our Australian flag for granted in a way. Perhaps we have taken the values that epitomise the Australian flag for granted. I believe we have to reinvigorate that sense of pride in all Australians. We have to encourage more flying of the Australian flag.

Burning the flag is a lazy, coward’s way of voicing an opinion. In my mind, it is tantamount to treason. The young socialists who want to sell flag kits during orientation week are, as one of my constituents said, like naughty little kids wanting attention. I say to those young people: don’t go ahead with your protests and try and sell these kits during university orientation week; heed the call of millions of Australians, support the Australian flag and learn from their actions. (Time expired)