Peter Dutton has suggested that only the Australian flag should fly on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Earlier this week, Mr Dutton confirmed that if he is elected Prime Minister next year he will display only the Australian flag at press conferences, claiming that displaying three flags “unnecessarily divides our country”.
During an appearance on Seven’s Sunrise, Mr Dutton was asked whether his position on displaying the Aboriginal flag at press conferences also applied to hoisting it on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
“My preference would be that, quite frankly, we accept that we have one national flag,” he said.
“For us at the federal level, I’m not going to pretend that our country can be united if we ask people to identify themselves in different ways.”
Australia should be “very proud of our indigenous heritage”, but Mr Dutton did not believe the country could be united under three flags, he said.
The Aboriginal flag permanently replaced the NSW state flag on the bridge in June 2022, after the NSW government reversed a $25 million plan to install a new pole for the flag.
After taxpayers balked at the cost, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the money would be better spent on initiatives to close the gap for Indigenous Australians.
The Aboriginal flag permanently replaced the NSW state flag on the Sydney Harbor Bridge in June 2022
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he would stand alone in front of the Australian flag when addressing the country if elected prime minister.
Anthony Albanese has displayed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian flag at press conferences since becoming prime minister in 2022.
Only the Australian flag was displayed before Albanese secured the top spot.
“We didn’t make a fuss, we didn’t put out a press release… we just did it,” Mr Albanese said at the time, before the failed Voice to Parliament referendum.
“We have flags that represent our entire nation. It’s an opportunity to talk about our full history.”
However, Mr Dutton flagged the move on Monday, revealing he would never address the nation with both the Australian and Indigenous flags behind him, arguing it sent a confusing message.
On Wednesday, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson went further and said Sky News Australia that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags should be removed from Parliament House.
“I think it’s wrong and it shouldn’t be allowed,” Ms Hanson said.
“We are one flag, one nation and one people and that is how it should be.”
Since Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister, the Australian flag has been seen alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at press conferences