Politics

The Government Voted Against Flying The Aboriginal Flag In Parliament… During NAIDOC Week

"The government believes that the Australian national flag, that represents all Australians, is the only appropriate flag to be flown in the Senate chamber."

by Michelle Rennex  10 November 2020
aboriginal flag naidoc week senate

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Despite Australia being in the middle of NAIDOC Week, the government has voted against the motion to hang the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in parliament.

According to MP Linda Burney, at around 4pm today, the government voted against Labor’s motion to hang the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in parliament. The New Daily political reporter Josh Butler also added that the government claimed that the only “appropriate” flag for the Senate was the Australian flag.

“There are many places and circumstances to appropriately display the flags of our nations, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags,” Liberal senator Anne Ruston said. “The government believes that the Australian national flag, that represents all Australians, is the only appropriate flag to be flown in the Senate chamber.”

And as if that decision and justification wasn’t already bad enough, the vote also took place during NAIDOC Week, the annual week literally dedicated to celebrating the achievements, history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.


Really, there’s no logical reason that the government couldn’t hang the additional flags in parliament. There is literally no excuse.

Flying an additional flag wouldn’t be some outlandish and unjustifiable additional cost to the government. It does not require more man power allow two extra flags to hang where the Australian one already does. There’s no additional salary that must be rationalised and accounted for in order for these flags to be erected.

In fact, hanging the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags in parliament is actually the bare minimum, the smallest gesture imaginable, and yet the government still refuse to just do it.

Upon hearing the disappointing news, people were obviously shocked and infuriated by the decision made by the government — especially during such an important week.


Gunnai & Gunditjmara senator, Lidia Thorpe, added to the criticism and noted that the decision was the pure ugliness of “colonial oppression”, especially after three Black senators had respectfully requested for the Aboriginal flag to be flown in the spirit of NAIDOC week.

“Liberal National Party have absolutely no shame,” she said.