LNP push for singing of national anthem to be mandated in Queensland schools

Queensland students would be made to sing Advance Australia Fair at the start of a school day under an LNP plan to foster “national identity” in younger generations. VOTE IN THE POLL

Queensland students would be made to sing Advance Australia Fair regularly at school under a plan put forward by the LNP rank-and-file, in a bid to foster “national identity” in younger generations.

LNP members, at the party’s state council meeting in Gladstone on Saturday, supported calls for the state Opposition to “adopt a policy that would mandate the singing of the National Anthem at the beginning of the school day for all schools”.

The motion was initially for the anthem to be sung every day but was amended to be at least once a week.

Former state candidate Pinky Singh argued singing the anthem each day would foster unity, regardless of a student’s race or religion.

Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson, who led the singing of the anthem at the meeting earlier in the day, said if children didn’t learn to embrace the importance of the national anthem in school they wouldn’t understand it when they left.

She said she had been “surprised” to learn that a small number of schools never sing the national anthem.

“We must ensure our children understand how important it is as part of their national identity and then grow that as citizens,” Ms Simpson said.

Meanwhile, a number of federal LNP candidates and incumbents were formally ratified ahead of the looming election.

This included Henry Pike for Bowman and Olivia Roberts for the South Brisbane seat of Griffith, currently held by Labor.

Ms Roberts ran for the LNP in the same seat at the 2019 election and picked up 40 per cent of first preferences — though this was not enough to win in a three-horse race which included a leap in support for The Greens.

The LNP secretariat could be heading into the campaign cycle with a freshly minted state secretary, following the departure of Tony Eyres.

President Lawrence Springborg confirmed the party was in the process of a nationwide recruitment process for the top ranking administrative position, with the aim of selecting someone “sometime in the early part of next year”.