Ray Martin has suffered an uncharacteristic lack of judgement - and possibly also taste - in using our most important national day to reignite debate over the Australian flag.
In doing so he has damaged the republican cause, by exposing himself and the broader republican movement to accusations of opportunism and grand-standing.
Don’t get me wrong - I don’t love our flag, for the simple reason that it’s got another country’s flag plastered all over it. As a modern and independent and multicultural nation it is a total anachronism that one-quarter of our national ensign is occupied by the Union Jack, regardless of the (generally positive) role of Britain in settling and colonising our nation.
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Sun 25 Apr 2010 - 13:21