Latest news with #AustralianFlag
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- General
- Sky News AU
New poll shows more than 70 per cent of public support Australian flag as Mornington Peninsula council responds to backlash
The Australian flag is viewed as a symbol of unity by an overwhelming majority of the public, despite local council bureaucrats erasing it from flyers. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council was sent into damage control this week after it emerged that council materials were being put out with the Aboriginal flag, Torres Strait Islander flag and the woke 'progress pride' flag – but not the Australian flag. The council flyers are wildly out of step with community attitudes, with a new poll released on Thursday showing that just 10 per cent of people want to get rid of the Australian flag. The survey of 1000 people, commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs and carried out by Dynata – an independent marketing research firm – found that 71 per cent of Australians believe our national flag helped unite all Australians. While Australia currently has three officially recognised national flags, the IPA poll found that 61 per cent of Australians believe we should have just one flag – the Australian flag – while 29 per cent of respondents support the Australian flag being displayed alongside the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag. Institute of Public Affairs Deputy Executive Director Daniel Wild said the Australian flag was the nation's 'most inclusive flag'. 'The Australian flag is our most inclusive flag as it represents our entire nation and every Australian, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender,' Mr Wild said. 'The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags have an important place in our society, but Australia has only one national flag. The Mornington Peninsula Council materials that had the Australian Flag removed include a flyer encouraging parents to sign their kids up to Kindergarten, a Child and Family news flyer, and a Health and Development Assessment flyer. According to the Herald Sun, at least one council office in Mornington also displays only the three minority flags on its entry doors. The Mayor of Mornington Peninsula and the council's chief executive have both denied knowing about the flyers before they appeared in the news. And on Tuesday evening Councillors voted to amend the council's flag policy to ensure the incident was not repeated. Mayor Anthony Marsh has told that "going forward" the council will ensure the Australian flag is included on all publications and materials it puts out. According to Mr Wild, the public backlash against the council reflects the fact Australians have 'had a gutful' of divisive identity politics. 'At a time when social cohesion is disintegrating across the nation, mainstream Australians understand that our symbols are unifying, and should be cherished and celebrated at all times. After all, there is far more that unites Australians than divides us,' he said.
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council in damage control after replacing Australian flag with LGBTQ Pride flag on school flyer
An image of the flyer, which advertised kindergarten registrations for 2026, went viral online on Monday, with councillors meeting on Tuesday to reaffirm the importance of the national flag in a vote. The LGBTQ+ flag was displayed instead of the Australian flag alongside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. Mayor Anthony Marsh on Thursday told "going forward" the council will ensure the Australian flag is included on all publications and materials it puts out. 'All children are welcome at our kindergartens," Mayor Marsh said. "The flyer in question was produced before Council clarified its position on the use of flags. Going forward, where flags are flown or appear in Council publications or materials, the Australian Flag will be included. Council will ensure this is applied consistently.' On Tuesday night, Councillor Bruce Ranken brought the motion as a matter of 'urgent business' which did not 'sit within policy' and said a response was needed to be made to show the community this incident was 'not good enough'. While the motion was passed 9-1, Councillor Max Patton voted against the motion over concerns the motion would have 'unintended consequences' citing Victorian Government policy which is 'acknowledged as a prominent flag as well'. Councillor Patton told on Thursday he wanted to make it abundantly clear the absence of the national flag on the publication was an "oversight" which needed correcting, but he wanted a clearer explanation of how ratepayers would be affected if the motion was passed. "If a footy club or community group leases a shire building and only has one flagpole with their flag on it, will they be forced to remove their flag and fly the national flag? Will ratepayers be forced to pay for an additional flagpole so both can be flown? There is a chance that this could turn into quite an expensive exercise, and I want to know how we will be impacted before making a decision," he said. "I would have supported a motion calling for a report into how this happened and making measured recommendations for a policy-aligned path forward. But without knowing how it might financially impact our community or clubs who lease our buildings or ratepayers I could not support the motion." CEO Mark Stoermer said the policy did not cover printed material and that discussions had taken place internally to change the policy. Cr Ranken said the motion was to provide boundaries to ensure the national symbol was 'never overlooked'. 'It also brings consistency, clarity and respect to our practices, guided by national protocols and supported by a review of current procedures,' he said. 'The core of this motion is straight forward, it affirms the Australian national flag as the primary and preeminent flag across all Mornington Peninsula Shire buildings, properties and events where flags are displayed.' Cr Ranken said the motion sought to 'prioritise' national standards and the council's own policy within the organisation so there is 'no confusion, and no repeat' of an instance of omitting the Australian flag in the future. Mayor Marsh said flags had been a problem 'for a while' and noted the matter was not a question of 'flags on poles', which councillors had debated, but the display of flags on documents and other communications. Mayor Marsh said he had received calls at 10pm on Monday and 'all throughout the day' on Tuesday and said the motion was something 'we need to get right'.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Why a missing detail on a flyer has sparked outrage: 'No longer consider us Australian'
A Victorian council has sparked backlash after printing a flyer without the Australian flag, but with three other flags emblazoned on it. Mornington Peninsula Shire issued the kindergarten flyer with Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQ + Progress Pride flags below the council logo, but omitted Australia's national flag. The flyer, which encourages parents to enrol their children for kindergarten in 2026, was picked up by angry residents who shared their outrage on social media. One resident shared a picture of the flyer and wrote: 'Apparently the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council no longer consider us Australian.' She said she was 'disgusted' the council 'thought it was representative'. Another commented: 'Wow! A new low! We should call and ask about our responsibility for rates as Australians!' 'We are all represented by one flag. Only a very small percentage of people are represented by the other three,' another person said. Someone else questioned: 'Why the need for any flags on a flyer?' Local councillor for Tootgarook ward Cam Williams addressed the criticism on the post and said the council 'didn't know it went out like that, we are trying to rectify it'. He noted the matter would be raised at the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council meeting on Tuesday night. Despite the backlash, some residents felt the issue didn't need to be raised urgently at the latest meeting. 'Council shouldn't be co opted (or allow themselves to be co opted) by the politicisation of a minority of annoyed voices who read far more into this than needed,' one commented. 'This should have been addressed by email, not a vote.' Mornington Peninsula Shire Council mayor Anthony Marsh said he and chief executive officer Mark Stoermer were not aware of the flyer prior to the backlash. 'This flyer was produced and distributed without the knowledge or endorsement of the council, me as Mayor or the CEO,' he told Sky News. 'We are investigating how this occurred and will fix it.' 'I acknowledge that the lack of the Australian flag has caused concern. 'I understand our flag policy is being updated to ensure it is featured on every document where flags are shown, and I suspect this will now be expedited as a result of this issue.' The council expected a 'larger attendance than usual' at Tuesday's meeting and had made special arrangements to 'ensure safety for attendees'. 'The Council Chamber has a public audience capacity of 45 people. Access to this space is on a first come basis,' an announcement on the council's website read. 'To accommodate any overflow, the meeting will be live-streamed to meeting rooms one and two, just outside the chamber. The capacity for this combined space is 50. The main doors will be closed if capacity is reached.'
Sky News AU
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Disgusting': Local Victorian council blasted over featuring flags including LGBTQ+ banner but not Australian flag on kindergarten registration flyer
A local council in Victoria has been blasted for leaving out the Australian flag on a kindergarten flyer that displays three others including a LGBTQ+ banner. A picture of the flyer issued by Mornington Peninsula Shire, which encourages parents to register their children for kindergarten in 2026, has garnered heavy criticism since being shared on social media on Monday. The flyer featured Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQ+ Progress Pride flags below the council logo, but Australia's national flag was left off the leaflet. One Facebook post shared a photo of the flyer and begged the question 'where is the Australian flag?' as commenters reacted with disdain and bewilderment. 'This is disgusting, we live in Australia,' one comment read. 'We are all represented by one flag. Only a very small percentage of people are represented by the other three,' another person said. Some comments took aim at the council itself, with one comment saying, 'Another example of what they shouldn't be doing with our rates'. Another Facebook user shared the picture alongside scathing remarks, saying she was 'disgusted' by the handout. 'Apparently the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council no longer consider us Australian,' she wrote. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council mayor Anthony Marsh has revealed he and chief executive officer Mark Stoermer did not know the flyer existed before it came under fire on social media. "This flyer was produced and distributed without the knowledge or endorsement of the Council, me as Mayor or the CEO. We are investigating how this occurred and will fix it," Mr Marsh told "I acknowledge that the lack of the Australian Flag has caused concern. I understand our flag policy is being updated to ensure it is featured on every document where flags are shown, and I suspect this will now be expedited as a result of this issue." A larger than usual turnout is expected at a Mornington Peninsula Shire Council meeting on Tuesday night, and arrangements have been made to 'ensure safety for attendees,' according to council's website. 'Council meetings are conducted in a respectful and structured manner, and we appreciate the community's co-operation and adherence to this approach,' the notice said.
