Australia Day 2021: Stonnington Liberal councillor Alex Lew supports flags at full mast

A push to fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at half-mast on Australia Day has been rejected by an inner east council, which will continue to fly its flags high.

Stonnington councillor and Liberal member Alexander Lew. Picture: Stonnington Council.

An inner city council won’t be lowering its flags for Australia Day celebrations activities, with a Liberal councillor declaring it inappropriate for a time of “celebration”.

Stonnington Council confirmed it will fly its flags at full-mast outside Malvern Town Hall during a citizenship ceremony on January 26.

It comes as debate continues on whether the Indigenous flag should be flown at half-mast around Melbourne on the day.

Nearby Glen Eira Council will fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags at half-mast, with Mayor Margaret Esakoff saying the council wanted to “acknowledge the pain and true history that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have experienced”.

Monash Council will fly its flags at full-mast despite objections from Greens councillor Josh Fergus, as will Whitehorse and Whittlesea councils.

Stonnington councillor Alex Lew supported the council’s decision to not lower its flags.

“Australia Day is a day of celebration where we celebrate great achievements nationally,” Cr Lew said.

“On a day of celebration, we don’t fly flags at half-mast.”

The citizenship ceremony is Stonnington’s only planned event for Australia Day with other activities not scheduled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Mayor Kate Hely said the ceremony would be held with 35 new citizens inside the hall, with a representative from the Boon Wurrung Foundation to deliver a Welcome To Country.

Cr Hely said councillors had also been invited to a ‘mourning reflection event’ — We-Akon Dilinja — which she would attend.

The event will be hosted by Port Phillip Council at St Kilda’s Alfred Square at 6am.