WA Liberal senator Michaelia Cash stands firm on ‘one flag'
The two motions will be debated at Saturday's WA Liberal Party council, and has been supported by the Coalition's foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash, after an explosive Senate debate on Welcome to Country ceremonies.
On flag recognition, the motion 'calls on the Ley Opposition to adopt a policy that in addition to the Australian national flag, only flags representing official jurisdictions (such as states and territories) or government institutions (such as the armed forces) be given formal Commonwealth recognition'.
Another motion will call on the federal Liberal Party to state that 'Welcome to Country ceremonies and acknowledgments should not hold official status as they are tokenistic at best and do nothing to improve the lives of our most disadvantaged Australians'.
Senator Cash said she supported both motions and 'welcome them being debated at the WA State Liberal Party Council'.
'It has been my long held belief and I am on the public record saying that there is one national flag and we should all unite under it,' she said.
'On the Welcome to Country issue my long held position, that is again on the public record, is consistent with the motion.'
The motions and Senator Cash's comments also split with the stance taken by the Opposition Leader who said that, while 'we should unite under the one Australian flag,' she was 'happy to stand in front of the Aboriginal flag'.
Camera Icon
Cash has repeatedly spoken in favour of removing the Indigenous flag and Welcome to Country ceremonies from official proceedings. NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Credit: News Corp Australia
'Had a gutful'
Debate on Welcome to Country ceremonies intensified on the first day of the new parliament after One Nation senators Pauline Hanson, Malcolm Roberts, Tyron Whitten and Warwick Stacey turned their backs on the chamber on Tuesday.
While their actions were condemned by Labor and the Greens, party leader Senator Hanson said she had 'had a gutful' of the process.
'I have had enough, and I do not want a Welcome to Country and to be disenfranchised from my own country that I was born here,' she said.
Senator Cash delivered an explosive spray at Foreign Minister Penny Wong, accusing the Labor senator of demeaning Indigenous Country Liberal Senator Jacinta Price, who said she was 'sick to death' of being 'objectified' and used as 'political tokens'.
Earlier, Senator Wong urged Senator Price to follow Ms Ley's comments for the party to 'recommit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunities for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country'.
Firing back, Senator Cash defended Senator Price.
'Do not ever demean anybody. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Her mother's story — Bess Price — I suggest you all read it. A woman walking through the desert was her mother,' Ms Cash said.
'I suggest you read the story of Bess Price before you ever come in here and cast aspersions or tell us, Senator Wong, to respect other words.
'I will stand by and respect Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who every day has lived and breathed reconciliation in this country. Her father is white, her mother is black.
'Don't ever come into this place again and pontificate to us like you've just done.'
Camera Icon
Senator Wong clashed with Senator Cash over Welcome to Country ceremonies and their place within Australian parliamentary procedure. NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Credit: News Corp Australia
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy also questioned the Liberal Party's splintered view on Indigenous affairs.
'It was interesting because Sussan Ley sat next to Aunty Violet with the opening of the parliament and with the Prime Minister, and wanted to reset the direction for the Coalition,' she told the ABC on Thursday.
While Senator McCarthy said people would bring their 'own personal opinions' into the debate around Welcome to Country ceremonies, she urged senators to be respectful.
'I don't think it will ever be settled because there will always be differing opinions,' she said.
'What was important was to remind Senators that we have a duty to the Senate to uphold, as Senator Wong said this week, to uphold democracy and the institutions of democracy in this country. And if we as Senators don't do it, then why are we there?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Paul Murray Our Town: Mt Gambier
Join Paul Murray for this month's special Our Town episode from Mount Gambier, the heart of South Australia's Limestone Coast. He unpacks Sussan Ley's push to reconnect with corporate Australia and the $382 million bill for Indigenous treaty talks.
West Australian
5 hours ago
- West Australian
Private R&D investment by Australian businesses falling, report finds ahead of roundtable
Private investment into research and development in Australian businesses is slipping backwards and comparatively lower to similar other nations, a new report shows. The report — collated by the Business Council of Australia ahead of Treasurer Jim Chalmer's productivity roundtable next month — identified a raft of targeted policies to boost business potential. It proposes offering extra incentives for collaboration and commercialisation, cutting red tape, and consolidating grants into major national programs. The report estimates that for every $1 spent on R&D, it generates $5 in economic value and $7 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) annually. If the suite of measures are implemented, it's expected to grow productivity in Australia 0.1 per cent each year. It also recommends a simpler R&D Tax Incentive by standardising tax offsets of 18.5 per cent above the company rate and removing its current $150 million cap. It's hoped having a single, consistent rule rather than the current different benefit rates depending on company size or how much they spend, would encourage firms to invest in R&D, especially smaller players. As for scrapping the cap, the policy is designed to allow businesses to claim tax offsets for all of their eligible R&D spend rather than just the first $150 million under the current framework. BCA chief executive Bran Black said the targeted policies were designed to fix Australia's productivity problems by unlocking investment, boosting jobs and wages. He said reversing the current trend, which has seen R&D investment drop 24 per cent in the last decade, would help drive innovation and productivity nationally. He said it was important businesses were given the 'right environment' to invest: 'If we don't act now then we will keep losing innovators, capital and ideas to other nations'. 'Better tax, collaboration and commercialisation policies will give businesses the confidence to take the next step and create new Australian technologies that benefit everyone's lives,' he said. The report will form part of a joint industry submission with well-known Australian software firm Atlassian and medical device company Cochlear. Cochlear chief executive and president Dig Howitt said policy reform and 'well-funded strategies' would be critical to unlocking more R&D in Australia. Atlassian chief of staff Amy Glancey said by supporting major companies to invest in R&D it would have a trickle down effect to create a better environment for entrepreneurship and innovation. Dr Chalmer's roundtable will be held at Parliament House August 19–21 and is expected to shape a shared agenda on improving productivity, strengthening budget sustainability, and building economic resilience. It has prompted a number of state-level consultations and spin-off roundtables, including one held on Friday by Independent MP Allegra Spender involving economists and industry figures in Canberra. The BCA, along with other industry bodies, companies, and government representatives, are finalising submissions ahead of the August roundtable, outlining ideas across tax, regulation, innovation, skills, and digital transformation to help lift Australia's productivity.
West Australian
5 hours ago
- West Australian
Government to introduce legislation for cheaper PBS medicines next week as parliament resumes
Australians could soon pay less for prescription medicines, with the government set to bring forward legislation for cheaper PBS medicines when parliament resumes next week. Anthony Albanese says he remained focused on delivering cost-of-living relief, which was a key election promise at the May 3 poll which delivered him a whopping 94-seat majority. The legislation would cut PBS medicine costs to $25 and freeze concession prices at $7.70. 'We want to focus very much on cost-of-living. That was the basis upon which we were elected,' he said on Sunday. 'The size of your bank balance shouldn't determine the quality of your healthcare. 'In the last term, we had a range of measures, and the Coalition opposed all of them. 'This term, we've already had all the changes on July 1: the increase in the minimum wage, the changes that we have made in energy bill relief, the cheaper batteries, the range of measures now, this week, we will have cheaper medicines. 'We said we would make cheaper medicines even cheaper - that is exactly what we are doing.' It would reduce the maximum cost of PBS medicines by 20 per cent from January 1 next year, which is expected to save Australians over $200 million annually. Health Minister Mark Butler said the change would make medicines for general patients the cheapest they've been since 2004. 'For pension and concession card holders we've frozen your medicine prices at a maximum price of $7.70 until the end of the decade,' Mr Butler said.
