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Western Australian council votes against flying Aboriginal flag Western Australian council votes against flying Aboriginal flag
(3 months later)
A local government in regional Western Australia is refusing to fly the Aboriginal flag during Naidoc Week, with the shire president saying it would be divisive.A local government in regional Western Australia is refusing to fly the Aboriginal flag during Naidoc Week, with the shire president saying it would be divisive.
The shire of Carnarvon voted against flying the flag during the national week celebrating Indigenous culture, with its president, Karl Brandenburg, saying the Australian flag already encompassed all cultures.The shire of Carnarvon voted against flying the flag during the national week celebrating Indigenous culture, with its president, Karl Brandenburg, saying the Australian flag already encompassed all cultures.
“The building has to represent everyone holistically,” Brandenburg told ABC radio on Thursday. “I mean, what do I do next, have a sporting club come in and say, ‘We’ve got a big sporting event on and we want to raise our flag’?”“The building has to represent everyone holistically,” Brandenburg told ABC radio on Thursday. “I mean, what do I do next, have a sporting club come in and say, ‘We’ve got a big sporting event on and we want to raise our flag’?”
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He stressed that his beliefs about cultural emblems did not single out Indigenous Australia. “The Yugoslav Club have their flag flying at their club and that’s fine … I have no problem with that,” he said. “I would have the same feeling for any entity from whatever nation that said, ‘Can I have our flag flown at the shire offices?’He stressed that his beliefs about cultural emblems did not single out Indigenous Australia. “The Yugoslav Club have their flag flying at their club and that’s fine … I have no problem with that,” he said. “I would have the same feeling for any entity from whatever nation that said, ‘Can I have our flag flown at the shire offices?’
“Because then it becomes them-and-us sort of stuff – it’s divisive. I believe that we should be all one nation.”“Because then it becomes them-and-us sort of stuff – it’s divisive. I believe that we should be all one nation.”
The Indigenous Labor MP and opposition Aboriginal affairs spokesman, Ben Wyatt, tweeted during the interview that he would send an Aboriginal flag to the shire of Carnarvon. The National MP Vince Catania, who represents the North West Central electorate including Carnarvon, told the broadcaster he would do the same.The Indigenous Labor MP and opposition Aboriginal affairs spokesman, Ben Wyatt, tweeted during the interview that he would send an Aboriginal flag to the shire of Carnarvon. The National MP Vince Catania, who represents the North West Central electorate including Carnarvon, told the broadcaster he would do the same.