It’s astonishing that in 2025, we’re even having this debate.
The Australian flag — our national symbol, flown in war, disaster, triumph, and reconciliation — is being quietly pushed aside by a local council, supposedly in the name of “cultural safety.” Mornington Peninsula Shire’s updated draft policy gives unelected bureaucrats the power to decide if the national flag appears on official documents based on their interpretation of what is “appropriate” for diverse communities.
This is not progressive — it’s regressive. And it’s insulting.
Let’s be clear: the Australian flag is not a symbol of exclusion. It represents all of us — Indigenous Australians, migrants, LGBTQIA+ people, every citizen. To suggest that its presence on a flyer could cause discomfort to any group is not only absurd, but patronising.
This issue came to light after the Shire printed a kinder program flyer with the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pride flags, omitting the national flag entirely. The backlash from the community was swift and justified. Ratepayers were right to feel that something was deeply wrong. After all, they fund the council. They elect its members. And yet, somehow, the communications department believes it knows better?
When councillors voted in June to make the Australian flag the most prominent symbol in all council materials, they did the right thing. It was a democratic move to ensure clarity, consistency, and respect for national identity. But now, internal documents suggest staff may override that vote by claiming “exceptions” for certain audiences.
Let’s be honest: this is a loophole created to undermine elected officials.
The move is a dangerous precedent — one that opens the door to further marginalisation of our shared national identity. If the flag can be erased from one document, what stops it from being excluded from schools, events, or public spaces next?
This isn’t about flags. It’s about principles. Councils should not cower to ideological activism or allow unelected managers to rewrite civic values based on vague notions of “appropriateness.” Respecting diversity does not mean erasing unity.
Diversity and national pride are not mutually exclusive. We can celebrate Indigenous heritage, fly the Pride flag, and still honour the Australian flag. One does not cancel the other.
If we are serious about inclusiveness, then we must include everyone — including those who see the national flag as a symbol of belonging, not division.
Mornington Peninsula Council should reaffirm its earlier vote. There must be no grey areas, no bureaucratic vetoes, and no confusion.
The Australian flag belongs in the highest position of honour — not in a drawer marked “optional.”
