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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4609 ..

MR HIRD (4.49): I would like to draw members' attention to a book, Australian Flags, published by the Department of Administrative Services and the Australian Government Publishing Service in 1995. In speaking to the motion moved by Ms Tucker, I want to talk about the flags that fly throughout this great country and in the States and Territories. It surprises me that Mr Corbell, when he was talking about the custodians of the country and the driving force of a group of people, did not support the flying of the Eureka flag in this chamber. The birth of Labor more than 100 years ago is associated with that flag, which has been flown by trade unionists since that time.

Let us look at other people who may wish to have their flags flown within this chamber. A high proportion of residents are in the military services. The triservice flag, the Australian white ensign, the Royal Australian Air Force ensign and the civil air ensign are flags of people who live within this Territory. The Australian Aboriginal flag is flown or displayed permanently at Aboriginal centres throughout Australia. It is popularly recognised as the flag of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. Is this Assembly an Aboriginal centre? I think not. Then there is the Torres Strait Islander flag. Ms Tucker spoke about respect for the original people of the country. I submit that the Torres Strait Islander flag represents the original people of the country. Should the flags of the external Territories of Norfolk Island and Christmas Island be flown here because they belong to the original people that Ms Tucker spoke of?

The motion reads:

That, recognising the need for reconciliation between Australians of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent and non-indigenous Australians, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags be placed in the Legislative Assembly ...

We need look no further than one of the flags behind you, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Australian Capital Territory flag. I understand that Mr Kaine had a fair bit to do with that when he was Chief Minister. The ACT flag was adopted by the Legislative Assembly on 25 March 1993 after a public selection process. Blue and gold are the regional colours. The black and white swans symbolise Aboriginal and European Australians. I submit that there is already an Aboriginal flag behind you, sir. That is the Australian Capital Territory flag. As the Speaker has indicated, there is one other flag, and that is the Australian flag. The Australian flag is flown superior to any other flag within this country, and so it should be.

I submit that bringing in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags will open it up to an array of flags. The indigenous people of this Territory may wish to put their flag in this chamber as a symbol of their origins. In making a decision in the dying days of this Assembly, we have to take into consideration the decision of 1993 to adopt the ACT flag, which clearly symbolises the Aboriginal and European people of this great Territory.

MS TUCKER (4.55), in reply: I will conclude the debate. I thank those members in this place who have supported the motion today. I would like to address a couple of the issues that Mr Cornwell raised. It is one of the few debates that we have had in this house in which I have found it quite disturbing to listen to some of the statements by Mr Cornwell and Mr Hird. I do understand their connection with the flags here and what

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