Mr REPACHOLI (Hunter) (12:05):
There are some things in this country that should never be up for debate. Our national flag is one of them. The flag is what our diggers in the Defence Force, men and women, wear on their shoulders when they serve this amazing country. It's the flag that gets handed to a grieving family when their loved one has made the ultimate sacrifice. It's the flag that kids salute at school assemblies. It gets waved at the footy and flies proudly over local town halls right across the Hunter and right across this great nation. It's not just a bit of cloth; it's who we are. It represents sacrifice, service, mateship and the freedoms we all enjoy.
So when we see protesters setting fire to the Australian flag, most Australians feel the exact same way that I do. They feel sick, they feel angry, because it's a slap in the face to everything that that flag stands for. It's disrespectful and it's disgraceful. It goes against the values that unite us as Australians. Let me be clear. Australia is a free country. We believe in free speech and we believe in the right to protest. But free speech does not mean you get to spit in the face of every soldier who has worn that flag or every family who has laid a loved one to rest under it. There are plenty of ways to make your point in this country. You can march, you can speak, you can write, you can even vote. None of those things require burning our national flag.
The Flags Act 1953 makes it clear how the flag should be treated with dignity and respect. Whilst it doesn't impose criminal penalties for desecration, people are not above the law. Property offences, public order offences and other laws apply. Ultimately, Australians themselves will judge those who show such disrespect. That's the balance our government has struck—protecting the freedom to speak in protest whilst ensuring the laws apply when behaviour crosses into violence, disorder and hate. That's the mark of a confident democracy.
Another issue tied up in this debate is the flying of terrorist flags in our community. We've all seen the images of groups waving the symbols of organisations that have murdered innocent women, men and children and are trying to spread fear across this country. These groups stand against everything Australia is about. To see their flags paraded down the street makes my blood boil, and it also makes me sick. But, again, the law is very clear. Under the Commonwealth Criminal Code, it's already an offence to support a terrorist organisation, whether that's through funds, recruitment, training or backing in any form. Waving their flag can amount to support, and, when it does, it's rightly a matter for the police. That sends a strong message. The Australian government does not and will not condone the actions of groups who use violence and terror to pursue their goals.
Most Australians respect our flag. They stand silently on Anzac Day. They cheer it on when it's raised at the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games. They put one up on Australia Day. They know it's not about politics; it's about pride in our country, the sacrifices that built it and the unity that keeps it strong. I see that paraded every single week in the Hunter, whether it's at local school presentations, the RSL ceremony, a community footy game or just an old mate who has one up on Wollombi Road. I see it there every single day; he takes it down and brings it up every single day. It's a reminder that, no matter our differences, there are things we hold in common.
The people who burn it are a tiny minority, but their actions sting all of us. It's an insult to every digger who put their life on the line. They mock every family who has lost someone in uniform. They test the patience of decent Australians who are rightly proud of their nation. That's why it matters that this parliament speaks clearly, that we retain the protections already in place, that we back the law and that we send a clear message of respect.
Our flag unites us. It honours those who came before us, inspires those who will come after us and reminds us that we are a nation with a proud history and a shared future. Let's respect it; let's protect it. Let's never allow it to be used as fuel for hate or division in this country. If you want to burn our flag, you're not making a statement; you're making an absolute fool of yourself, and nobody in this country respects people that are burning our flags.
To those who have done it: you should be disgusted in yourselves because it's an absolutely atrocious thing to do. We need to make sure that we're respecting our flag, because this is the country we have.
