Peter Dutton has vowed to only stand before the national flag if elected prime minister at next year’s federal election, arguing that flying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian flag is “dividing our country unnecessarily”.
On Monday night, the federal opposition leader – who has already adopted the practice – told Peta Credlin on Sky News that he would never address the nation with more than the one flag behind him.
“We’re asking people to identify with different flags, no other country does that, and we are dividing our country unnecessarily,” he said.
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“We should have respect for the Indigenous flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag, but they are not our national flags.”
Anthony Albanese stood before all three flags at his first press conference as Prime Minister at Parliament House three years ago.
At the time, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said the “thoughtfulness, the nod to respect (and) the inclusivity of the gesture was something everyone noticed and really appreciated”.
Labor frontbencher Patrick Gorman said while “some may say symbols don’t matter … they do. Because symbols, however small, always represent something bigger”.
“In this case, they represented renewal, a fresh start, and the Albanese Government’s deep desire to build stronger foundations with First Nations people.”
‘Confusing message’
On Monday night, Dutton also accused Albanese of sending “a very confusing message” around Australia Day.
“I think the fact is that we should stand up for who we are, for our values, what we believe in,” Dutton said.
“We are united as a country when we gather under one flag, which is what we should do on Australia Day.”
On Monday, Dutton, instead, encouraged Australians to “speak more about our migrant story”.
“The incredible story of people who came here, particularly in the post-WWII period, with nothing, and have worked hard as tradies, as farmers, and they’ve educated their children,” he said.
“The next generation has done incredibly well. They’ve done well themselves. We’re a great country today because of that. We don’t talk anything of that part of our history and so that’s a view that I’ve taken.”
