Ash Ambihaipahar (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday, across our country, we saw disturbing scenes of anti-immigration marches that sought to divide Australians. Today we debate the question of our flag, its protection and its meaning. These two issues are not separate; they go to the heart of who we are as a nation. The Australian flag is more than cloth and colour; it is a living symbol of our history, our sacrifice and our shared future. It flies over schools, town halls and RSLs, and we see it in citizenship ceremonies and above our parliament. It drapes the coffins of those who have served this nation. It is carried proudly at international sporting events. In my own community of Barton the flag is held with particular pride.

Barton is one of the most culturally diverse electorates in the nation. In Barton you will see the Australian flag flying alongside the flags of Greece, Lebanon, China and so many others. Migrant families, refugees and First Nations Australians live side-by-side. Together we embody the very values of the flag and what it represents—unity, fairness and respect. For my community the flag is not about exclusion; it is absolutely about belonging. The government believes and I believe that the overwhelming majority of Australians deplore the actions of those who violate our flag. For many it feels like an insult to the sacrifice of generations. Yet we are also a democracy—freedom of expression, even expression that offends us, is a basis of the democracy. That is what sets us apart from authoritarian regimes where symbols are protected with fear and punishment rather than with pride and respect. Vandalising our flag does not strengthen a cause—it diminishes it. There are far more appropriate, respectful and powerful ways to make one's political views heard, and Australians know this. As a government, we are confident that our community will make its own judgement peacefully and respectfully against those who dishonour the flag.

Let me be very clear—while there are no specific penalties for desecration under the Flags Act 1953, the individuals must still comply with other Australian laws. In certain circumstances such conduct may amount to criminal offences under state and territory law—for example, property damage or public order offences—and under the Commonwealth Criminal Code those who promote or associate with terrorist organisations already face some of the strongest penalties in our legal system.

Our suite of national flags belong to every Australian. They belong to the First Nations people of this land, whose sovereignty was never ceded. They belong to the migrants who arrive here in search of safety, opportunity and a better future for their families. They belong to those who marched yesterday, even if their words and actions dishonoured some of the very values the flag represents. They belong to the electorates like Barton, where Australians of every background live, work and celebrate together. The Australian national flags represent not division but unity, not hate but hope, not exclusion but belonging. The true power of the flag is not in punishing those who abuse it but in how we as a people choose to honour it: by teaching our children its history, by flying it with respect, by carrying forward the values it represents—democracy, equality, fairness and a deep belief in the dignity of every human being who calls this country home.

There was a debate during the election campaign about what flags our prime minister should stand in front of. Mr Dutton, then leader of the opposition, thought he should have to stand in front of only one. Again, this was an attempt to sow fear and division, all for the sake of his political career. The flags are above the whims of politics. We stand in front of all three of our Australian flags with pride and deep respect for the nation they represent. When I look at our flags, I do not see fear or division. I see the Anzacs; I see the migrants who built our suburbs; I see the First Nation elders who fought for recognition; and I see Barton, one of the most diverse electorates in Australia, standing together, proud of who we are and what we share. That's what our flags represent, that's what we must defend and that's what we must never forget.

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