Former federal Liberal Nicolle Flint fuels speculation about return to politics with Anzac attack

Former federal Liberal Nicolle Flint is fuelling speculation of a return to politics by accusing state Labor of scrubbing Anzac Day from new legislation.

Resurgent former federal Liberal Nicolle Flint is fuelling speculation about entering state politics by attacking public holiday changes sidelining Anzac Day.

Ms Flint, who in August was installed on the Liberal state executive, has written a Sky News column accusing Labor of insulting veterans by scrubbing Anzac Day from legislation.

In the column, Ms Flint enters the state political fray by branding as “un-Australian” the state Labor government for legislating to delete Anzac Day from the official Holidays Act 1910.

The name Anzac Day was removed as part of public holiday legislative changes passed this week, which replaced it with 25 April “fixed as a public holiday”.

“We did not send Australian men and women to fight for our freedom and make the ultimate sacrifice in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and peacekeeping operations to have virtue-signalling Labor MPs erase one of our most nationally significant days of commemoration,” Ms Flint argues.

“This is the history the South Australian Labor Party is deleting.”

Former federal politician Nicolle Flint in August, with dog Mister, on her parents’ property near Kingston in the state’s South East. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Labor’s Public Holiday bill, which passed this week and adds Easter Sunday as a new public holiday, does not describe public holidays by their traditional names but instead by their dates.

Australia Day is referred to as January 26, Christmas Day as December 25 and Anzac Day as April 25 – sparking outrage from the opposition.

Ms Flint says not even “left-wing” Labor governments in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia have “erased centuries of tradition from their public holiday acts”, because they still recognise Anzac Day, Christmas Day, Australia Day and the Sovereign’s Birthday.

“You really have to wonder if South Australia is trying to outdo their interstate Labor mates in the battle to see who can destroy western civilisation most quickly,” Ms Flint says.

She points out that the state Liberals unsuccessfully attempted to amend “Labor’s shocking bill that has erased days of significance” to ensure it recognised names including Anzac Day and Christmas Day.

Shop assistants’ union state secretary Josh Peak, who spearheaded the public holiday change, on Wednesday declared a “massive win” for workers who would now be paid public holiday penalty rates on Easter Sunday.

Ms Flint, who quit federal politics at the 2019 election after being forced out by a sexist barrage, is poised for a bid to wrest back her party’s previous South-East stronghold of MacKillop, where her family has farmed for generations.

She signalled in September she would consider standing for parliament again if the Liberals wanted her, telling SA Weekend: “Whatever I can do to assist, I will do.”

In response, Opposition Leader David Speirs said her “talent and ideas would be welcomed back” in his state Liberal Party room, declaring Ms Flint “a great friend” with whom he had worked closely for years.