New poll shows more than 70 per cent of public support Australian flag as Mornington Peninsula council responds to backlash
The Australian flag is viewed as a symbol of unity by an overwhelming majority of the public, despite local council bureaucrats erasing it from flyers.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council was sent into damage control this week after it emerged that council materials were being put out with the Aboriginal flag, Torres Strait Islander flag and the woke 'progress pride' flag – but not the Australian flag.
The council flyers are wildly out of step with community attitudes, with a new poll released on Thursday showing that just 10 per cent of people want to get rid of the Australian flag.
The survey of 1000 people, commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs and carried out by Dynata – an independent marketing research firm – found that 71 per cent of Australians believe our national flag helped unite all Australians.
While Australia currently has three officially recognised national flags, the IPA poll found that 61 per cent of Australians believe we should have just one flag – the Australian flag – while 29 per cent of respondents support the Australian flag being displayed alongside the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag.
Institute of Public Affairs Deputy Executive Director Daniel Wild said the Australian flag was the nation's 'most inclusive flag'.
'The Australian flag is our most inclusive flag as it represents our entire nation and every Australian, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender,' Mr Wild said.
'The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags have an important place in our society, but Australia has only one national flag.
The Mornington Peninsula Council materials that had the Australian Flag removed include a flyer encouraging parents to sign their kids up to Kindergarten, a Child and Family news flyer, and a Health and Development Assessment flyer.
According to the Herald Sun, at least one council office in Mornington also displays only the three minority flags on its entry doors.
The Mayor of Mornington Peninsula and the council's chief executive have both denied knowing about the flyers before they appeared in the news.
And on Tuesday evening Councillors voted to amend the council's flag policy to ensure the incident was not repeated.
Mayor Anthony Marsh has told SkyNews.com.au that "going forward" the council will ensure the Australian flag is included on all publications and materials it puts out.
According to Mr Wild, the public backlash against the council reflects the fact Australians have 'had a gutful' of divisive identity politics.
'At a time when social cohesion is disintegrating across the nation, mainstream Australians understand that our symbols are unifying, and should be cherished and celebrated at all times. After all, there is far more that unites Australians than divides us,' he said.
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