Push for new Australian flag

Herald Sun ^ | 25th January 2010 | Alan Howe

[naturalman1975]

AUSTRALIA Day celebrations are set to be hijacked by a major push for a new flag.

TV legend Ray Martin is leading the bold campaign, describing the existing design as "colonial".

"I object to having the British flag in the corner of our flag," Martin told the Herald Sun.

"We have well and truly reached the point where we should have our own flag. I think we have to grow up and move on to the next stage."

The push for a new flag comes as Labor Party sources confirmed the Federal Government, if re-elected this year, will hold a referendum on a republic.

The republic debate was rekindled last week with the rapturous response to Prince William's visit to Australia.

Martin was surprised by the reaction, but adamant Australia would one day become a republic.

The five-time Gold Logie winner has joined the board of Ausflag, an apolitical body founded in 1981 to push for a new flag.

"I am going to add my name and voice to those who are talking the issue up and try to bring about a change," Martin said yesterday.

But Premier John Brumby defended the flag.

"As is the case with many Australians, my father and grandfather served our armed forces under our flag," he said.

Mr Brumby said the flag was a symbol of unity in areas devastated on Black Saturday.

"I remember seeing so many Australian flags in front yards in bushfire communities. It signified resilience and defiance and gave people solace."

[naturalman1975]

Our flag bears the stars that shine at night
In our southern sky of blue
And there's a little old flag in the corner
That is part of our heritage too,

It's the English, the Scots and the Irish
Who were sent to the end of the earth
The rogues and the schemers, the doers and dreamers
Who gave modern Australia birth.

And you who are shouting to change it
You don't seem to understand
It's the flag of our laws and language
Not just the flag of some far away land

Though, there's plenty who'll tell if you ask them
How when Europe was plunged into night
How that little old flag in the corner
Was a symbol of freedom and light.

It doesn't mean we owe our allegiance
To some forgotten imperial dream
We've got the stars to show where we're going
And the old flag to show where we've been

It's only an old piece of bunting
It's only an old coloured rag
But there's thousands who died for its honour
And fell in defence of our flag.

[naturalman1975]

Mr Brumby said the flag was a symbol of unity in areas devastated on Black Saturday.

"I remember seeing so many Australian flags in front yards in bushfire communities. It signified resilience and defiance and gave people solace."

[vladimir998]

naturalman1975, are there any proposed designs out there for a new flag that you know of?

[Da Coyote]

Check out the success of the British colonies.

Check out the success of the Spanish colonies.

Check out the success of the French colonies.

Anyone ashamed of the British Unionjack should go Obama themselves.

[OrangeHoof]

Why not replace the flag with a picture of a young Olivia Newton-John? Works for me.

[vladimir998]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_flag_debate

[redpoll]

Post a sheila in the middle of the flag, wearing a bikini, holding a Cooper’s stout in her right hand.

Just a suggestion.

[john drake]

Agreed. I especially like the Union Jack being a combination of the St. Andrew’s Cross (the x) of Scotland and the St. George Cross (the traditoinal t) of England, signifying a Christian nation. Any further secularization would be disappointing, but not unexpected in this day and age.

[naturalman1975]

[rawcatslyentist]

I'd like to suggest the original one currently in use.

I hope and pray, this attempt to force national identity amnesia on the Aussies fails miserably!

[carton253]

The current flag is much better.

[bgill]

I don’t have a vote as they should decided for themselves, but it is interesting, and comforting, how similar the Australian and American flags evolved from the Union Jack.

[SandRat]

all the options shown either have a Turd World African fomer European Clony commie design or harken too much to a UN/NATO slant.

[BlueLancer]

I don't get a vote on those flags, although I do have Australian in-laws ...

... but, if those are the proposed flags for Australia, I would have to say that I've never seen a more vile selection of colorations in my life.

[ksm1]

Ha, very true.

British colonies:
One superpower, one emerging superpower (US, India)
Free democracies everywhere else (Australia, New Zealand, Canada)
Even fairly decent African countries (South Africa, Ghana)

French colonies:
Chad, Algeria...do you want to move there?

But the worst of the worst are the Belgian colonies. Two words: The Congo.

[PAR35]

The new design should incorporate an Islamic crescent since they seem to be trying import as many as possible.

[DieHard the Hunter]

I see this “change-the-flag” nonsense is also rampant on your side of the Tasman.

Same here in New Zealand.

Not all change is progress. And not all progress is good.

[Tennessee Nana]

Speaking as a 5th generation New Zealander...

a 7th generation Canadian...

and an 12th generation American..

What sort of background does Martin have ???

Is he a new Aussie ???

Or has he family been there for generations ???

200 years or just since WWII ???

Were they Botany Bay convicts or regular settlers ???

Sometimes this is important...

What is his minset ???

I couldnt imagine the NZ flag without the Union Jack...

It just wouldnt be the same...

I had family die fighting behind that flag too...

[Cicero]

[bgill]

Hmmm, too many of those have the look of our mutual enemies. Is there some underlying reason for the change and which groups are pushing it?