Australia won't fly own flag at own beach



THE New South Wales Government has urged a Sydney beachside council to rethink its decision not to fly the Australian flag over the iconic Bondi Pavilion amid suggestions the move was inspired by racial tensions.

But Waverley Council's deputy mayor said Premier Morris Iemma didn't understand the facts and accused Liberal councillors of hijacking the issue for political gain.

Mr Iemma today urged the council to reconsider its 6-5 vote against flying the flag over the heritage-listed building.

"Our flag is a symbol of national unity and the council decision is just ridiculous, they want to reconsider it and reconsider immediately," he said.

"There's no excuse for anyone else to be saying 'Well, because of the incidents, the riots of two weeks ago we're not going to fly the Australian flag'. That is just ridiculous."

Waverley deputy mayor George Newhouse, who was among councillors who rejected the flag proposal, said it had nothing to do with racial tensions.

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"We already fly the flag at Bondi, we proudly fly the flag at Bondi and this decision has absolutely nothing to do with racism or Cronulla. It has everything to do with practical common sense," Mr Newhouse said.

"The Pavilion is a heritage-listed building and it will cost thousands of dollars to perform a heritage study and then erect the poles, which don't exist."

"We already have the flag, we love the flag, there is no problem with the flag and as for council banning the flag, it's absolute nonsense."

Council had first voted against installing the flag in March 2005, Mr Newhouse said.

"To raise it again in December was purely to manipulate the flag and the Cronulla racism issue," he said.

He accused Liberal councillors of taking advantage of the race riots to raise the issue of the flag again, adding: "That is truly offensive."

Greens state MP Lee Rhiannon said Waverley Council was far from shy of flying the national flag.

"I have lived in Waverley municipality all my life and have seen the Australian flag flying on the council chambers and at appropriate municipal events," Ms Rhiannon said.

"Community tensions were running high at the time...the no-flag option is a sensible choice."

Shiite!

Australia was at the top of my list of places to flee if the United States ever became well, uh, uninhabitable.

Scratch that!

Eric The(Next?)Hun

Lots of  French in that area?

Quoted: Quoted: It appears the Australian government is trying to convince the slim majority of one municipality to change its decision of not flying their flag. Your title is inaccurate.           no kidding, some town passed this law and provincial government is against it. "USA Wants Guns Banned!" www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=423704

Happy now?   Wasn't "my" title, but point taken........

Are we still not allowed to invite a particular religon/culture to explore the world of self fornication?

Because if we are, I won't.  

Not suprised that this has happened. What is going on down there with there Gun laws, Knife blade length laws and laser pointer laws?

Quoted: Quoted: Are we still not allowed to invite a particular religon/culture to explore the world of self fornication? Because if we are, I won't.   You know the rules haven't changed here so either live with it, or take a stand and leave.

Actually, I've spent very little time online lately due to a promotion at work...

That being said, I felt a need to put my toe in the proverbial waters to test them.

Still frigid!  

I ain't goin in first!!

Oh, thank God that my parents went with the USA instead of Australia! I could've ended up surrounded by sissy Aussies by now.

How about they don't want to piss the Muslims off (ie, and get blown up).

They would rather cower to the cowards.

They should fly this flag

Quoted: Are we still not allowed to invite a particular religon/culture to explore the world of self fornication? Because if we are, I won't.

What, there's a rule stating we can't say anything bad about the ROP???

geuss no more guts and to much Fosters and union lazy mentality,,,sad days to come my formerly respected Aussies,,,get your wagons in a circle     as a ply and out flankthe bastards,,,Andyou become the ones WHO SHOOT STRAIGHT! as they cal you bastards todo so! don't   be the scape goats of the empire again! it is do or die! shoot straight you Aussies and do make a mess of it,,Semper Fi.

Don't pay too much attention to anything coming out of the Waverly area. The Eastern Suburbs of Sydney are an odd lot. They're overwhelmingly weathly, but vote wack-job, psyco crazy tree hugging hippy Greens party and socialist Labor party at the state level, and Liberal party (conservative) at the federal level. Mostly, though, they are a bunch of latte sipping chardonay socialists from the "chattering classes".

The rest of us, on the other hand, get the urge now and again (esp at the moment) to nuke certain parts of the city that spawned the problems that led to the riots.