Poll reveals strong support for Australian flag across all age groups
A poll gauging how Aussies feel about the national flag has delivered some surprising results including what most people want to see in schools.
South East
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Most Australians are proud of the national flag and believe it should be the only one used to represent the country, a new poll has revealed.
The Institute of Public Affairs poll revealed more than 70 per cent of Australians backed the national flag, believing it united all Australians, and 61 per cent thought the country should have just one flag.
IPA deputy executive director Daniel Wild said Australian have “had a gutful” of attempts to divide the country on racial grounds.
“Almost two-thirds reject the divisive push to hide our national flag and replace it with others such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags as national symbols,” he said.
“The Australian flag is our most inclusive flag as it represents our entire nation and every Australian, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender.
“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags have an important place in our society, but Australia has only one national flag.”
The IPA poll revealed widespread support for the national flag from women and men across all age groups, including the 18-24 cohort where 72 per cent wanted to keep the current flag.
Almost 75 per cent of poll respondents also believed the national anthem should be sung at school assemblies, with only 8 per cent disagreeing.
The results were released the day after a Victorian council stripped bureaucrats of control over how the Australian flag was displayed after it was omitted from kinder flyers that included the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pride flags.
The flyer prompted community frustration with ratepayers calling for the “radical material” to be torched.
Mornington Peninsula council responded swiftly, vowing to ensure the Australian flag was “never overlooked” again by voting for immediate changes to how it was displayed in print and on poles.
Councillors on Tuesday night voted by nine votes to one in favour of ensuring the Australian flag took the “highest position of honour” whenever flags were displayed.
They also asked for the shire’s flag policy to be rewritten within 60 days.
Mr Wild praised the council for “pushing back against the woke agenda” with its “commonsense decision”.
“Leaders throughout the country should look at this decision as an unmissable opportunity to promote social cohesion and national pride by respecting our flag,” he said.
On Wednesday more photos of council material without the Australian flag were posted on social media, indicating the flag fiasco was more widespread than a single kinder flyer.
The photos showed a wall of posters promoting toddler playgroups, health checks for preschooler and family activities – all displaying Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pride flags, but no Australian flag.
At least one council office in Mornington also displays only the three minority flags on its entry doors.
Mayor Anthony Marsh said the shire would start work on ensuring all documents and buildings complied with the council’s “clear directions” from Tuesday’s meeting.