Page 812 - Week 03 - Thursday, 25 March 1993
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
With hindsight I believe that the process could have been better. Sometimes I think these things are learning exercises and at the end of the day we could perhaps reconsider and think, "Perhaps the process was not as full and as consultative as it could have been". I am not sure that the flag that we have, which is the choice of the Canberra community, is a unifying symbol for that community. I am not sure that the majority of Canberrans embrace it as a symbol that they want to represent the Territory in years to come. I hope that there may come a time when we will go through a longer process, a different selection process, which will achieve a flag that we can all be proud of as a community for many years to come.
MR MOORE (11.56): Madam Speaker, it may be that the Liberals cannot speak as a unified force, but I can. I rise to support the motion. We went through a process. Ms Szuty has drawn attention to the fact that with hindsight we could probably improve that process. I think that applies to many things that we do. However, as a group of people, we did adopt a process and it is appropriate that we should support that process and support the flag that has come out of it. I hope that even those people who consider it not their favourite will still treat the flag appropriately as the flag of Canberra, as I intend to do.
MR DE DOMENICO (11.57): Madam Speaker, like Mr Moore, I think I can also speak as a unified force. I am one of those people who do not personally like the - - -
Mr Moore: A Liberal Independent. You could go well.
MR DE DOMENICO: I will never be an Independent, Michael. We have always had principles. I did not like the result of the Canberra community's decision, but it is a decision made by the Canberra community. We need to accept the fact that, notwithstanding our personal choice, we respect the flag for what it is. It is the ACT flag. I look forward, Madam Speaker, to having it displayed as soon as possible in this chamber to show that we are unified in one thing - that we are respecting the flag, notwithstanding our personal choices. Perhaps the Australian flag could be on the other side. That is the best way to go.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (11.58), in reply: Madam Speaker, I would like to thank members for their support of this motion. I am not going to say whether this was my favourite design or not, but I can say that I like the outcome of this community consultation process much better than I like the outcome of the last consultation process which has given us the Hare-Clark electoral system. However, in both cases I said that I would carry out the wishes of the people of the ACT, and that is precisely what I am doing.
I think that the flag that we are preparing to adopt for the ACT is entirely appropriate. It draws on the heritage that we have in this Territory. It, I think, is attractive. I quite like the look of it. Quite importantly, Madam Speaker, I am receiving quite a number of requests for the flag, which I am very pleased to see. We need this motion because, as I would like to advise members, I have to now go into a tender process and let contracts for the manufacture of the flag as a result of the people having made their choice. Contrary to a great deal of speculation, that process has not yet been entered into.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .