Bold push for new Australian flag without the Union Jack
Hundreds of Australians are calling for a new national flag that would unite us all under one flag, after Peter Dutton declared he would not support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
Anthony Albanese has displayed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian flag at press conferences since becoming prime minister in 2022.
But Mr Dutton said the nation must be united under one flag, and he would only appear under Australia’s national flag.
“I strongly believe that we are a country united under one flag, and when we ask people to identify with different flags, no other country does that, and we divide our country unnecessarily,” he told Sky. News earlier this week.
As the debate erupted, a proposed redesign of the national flag was shared on Reddit as a possible solution to unite the nation under one flag.
It shows the Southern Cross with the Aboriginal flag in the space currently occupied by the Union Jack, and was shared on Reddit on Wednesday.
They pointed out that Sam Neill had worn the same design on his arm in the 1997 film Event Horizon.
“The flag that Sam Neil represented in Event Horizon has always been the solution,” they said.
A proposed redesign of the national flag with the Southern Cross and Aboriginal flag in the space currently occupied by the Union Jack was shared on Reddit on Thursday.
A sharp-eyed film fan pointed out that Sam Neill had worn the same design on his arm in the 1997 film Event Horizon
The flag sparked debate on social media, with many wanting a new design but not.
‘Lack of design symmetry. It’s unbalanced and ugly. Just a corruption of both flags,” one person said.
‘As an Aboriginal person I agree. The flag needs to change but not this,” a second added.
“The creator of the Aboriginal flag has said several times that he doesn’t want it to be the canton. A flag in the canton area represents control and rule, and that is not what they want to achieve,” said a third.
Prominent Australian writer Peter FitzSimons is among the prominent figures calling for the redesign of the Australian national flag.
FitzSimons retweeted the proposed change in January 2022 with the caption: “This would at least be a step in the right direction.”
He is one of the directors of Ausflag, alongside politicians, celebrities, writers and business people including Vince Sorrenti, Ray Martin, Philip Adams and Anne Keating.
Their website states that they aim to find a flag that “represents our nation and its people, our past, present and future, our country, our equality and diversity, our achievements, our hopes and aspirations.”
It adds: ‘We can do much better. Help us tell our story, not someone else’s.’
FitzSimons dismissed the current flag – which has been official since 1953 – with the quote from American comedian Jerry Seinfield: ‘I love your flag. Britain, at night.’
Republican Peter FitzSimons (pictured with his wife Lisa Wilkinson) is behind a website dedicated to finding a new design for the Australian national flag
Since Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister, the Australian flag has been seen alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at press conferences
Ausflag has been collecting designs since 2015, allowing the public to support their favorites, some of which have attracted thousands of votes.
Many of the most popular have a kangaroo incorporated into the design, but one of the most popular features a Southern Cross and a federation star above stripes of green and gold – the country’s sporting colors are derived from a flowering acacia.
It has just surpassed another Southern Cross design, with a green and gold boomerang through the centre.
Another Southern Cross flag, a version of the Aboriginal flag as a rising sun over a dark red horizon, also attracted thousands of votes.
Ausflag has been collecting designs since 2015 where the public can support their favorites. Some have received thousands of votes
This simple design is one of the most popular on the Ausflag website
FitzSimons previously said the national flag could be changed with the stroke of a pen if Canberra so chooses.
“As with the republic, changing the flag is a matter of political will, not money, even though they are separate issues.”
The current Australian flag was adopted in 1901 upon the federation of the six British colonies into one nation.
FitzSimons previously led the Australian Republican Movement, which wants to replace the king with an Australian as head of state.