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Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Page: 224

Senator KROGER (Victoria—Chief Opposition Whip in the Senate) (21:11): Like many Australians I watched in horror and outrage as our national flag was torched outside federal parliament on the day after Australia Day, 27 January 2012. I have to say that it made me feel sick to the bone.

There are few symbols in Australia's history as enduring as our national flag. The stars and crosses displayed on our flag splendidly represent our history and our aspirations. Our flag encapsulates all the great things about Australia and the many things that we can be proud of. At the time of Federation in 1901 there was no Australian flag. An international competition was held which attracted no fewer than 32,823 entries from around the world. From these entries our present flag was chosen. In fact, there were five finalists with identical designs, which included one from a 14-year-old boy. That boy, Ivor Evans, had very clear ideas about what his flag meant and what he intended it to say about Australia and Australians. He believed that the Southern Cross, the brightest constellation in the Southern Hemisphere, was representative of Australia's bright future as a leading nation. However, there was another reason for his choice of the Southern Cross. The poet Dante wrote about four bright stars which symbolised the four moral virtues of justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude—virtues that all Australians should live up to. King Edward VII approved the design in February 1903. In 1908 the six-pointed white star was replaced by a seven-pointed star to represent the territories.

Since it was first unfurled from the Royal Exhibition Building in 1901, our Australian flag has been an icon of our shared identity and of what it means to be an Australian. In recent times our nation has come such a long way from the time of the White Australia policy. Just think about the recent achievements, such as the apology to the Aboriginal people and the apology to the forgotten Australians. These great steps have set Australia on a purposeful course and they are moments in our recent history of which every Australian should be immensely proud.

It baffles me that anyone would feel justified in burning our national flag. Actions such as this are nothing more than divisive and destructive. It also baffles me that, in Australia, anyone can burn an Australian flag at any time and, in more cases than not, get away with it. As part of this great democracy of ours, our freedom should always be defended, but acts such as burning our national flag, which can only be described as sheer vandalism, should not be tolerated. The salient point should be made: burning the Australian flag is not a legitimate form of political protest.

Reflecting on the meaning of our flag prompts me to recall the recent claims by a Western Australian academic who asserted that those who display the Australian flag have more racist views than the rest of the population. What utter madness! The West Australian newspaper reported:

Brunei-born University of WA Professor Farida Fozdar, who moved to Australia when she was seven, said she was shocked by the national reaction to her study … 'Some e-mails have been quite polite and I've been able to reply … I've also had a couple of e-mails from people implying that I am the Grinch that killed Christmas and that now nobody is going to fly a flag because they think it shows that they're racist.'

It would be fair to say that I am somewhat sympathetic with the latter view—and what a tragedy that is. What is true is that the Australian flag is much loved, touched, worn and flown by Australians here and across the world. It graces our most solemn occasions. It flies over the parliament in which we reside. It graces our significant moments. It graces our arrivals and departures. It flies in schools, neighbourhoods, communities, urban centres and in the bush. Wherever it is raised, it stirs a sense of unity within us all.

When I had the opportunity to visit our troops in Afghanistan last year, one of my first stops was the memorial square where those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice are honoured. The Australian flag flies high and says so much about what our troops fight for. It is the flag that drapes those that are carried home by their brothers in arms. It stands for so much, yet its very symbolism is diminished by those who do not respect it.

I have been fortunate also to travel to America, largely as a tourist, and the most compelling memory I have of my travels there is the pride the American people have for their country and their flag. As you travel from state to state, you see the American flag being brandished on poles in gardens outside people's homes, hung from windows and even embellishing transport, both public and private. It is a public demonstration of national patriotism, which I so admire and wish we could translate here to the same extent. The enthusiasm with which their anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, is sung at sporting events sends a shiver up the spine. As a Victorian, I can proudly say that this is challenged, at least in a decibel sense, at the AFL grand final.

It is this very patriotism that I feel was challenged when Professor Fozdar suggested there is a high chance that one is a racist if one flies the Australian flag. This sort of disgraceful generalisation is, frankly, offensive and only furthers dissent and discord within our communities. My response on Australia Day, when I had a barbecue at my home, was to fly not one flag but two, and to decorate what can only be described as a rambling garden with 200 hand waver flags. I think my neighbours got the message. This is a country where we need to wear our pride on our sleeve and not be beholden to extreme political correctness.