Jacinta Price has advocated for making the burning of the Australian flag illegal, expressing to Sunrise host Nat Barr that such an act constitutes ‘the ultimate disrespect to our nation.’
Her remarks followed her action of wrapping herself in an Australian flag for Flag Day, a celebration of the 124th anniversary of the flag’s debut flight.
“There’s a constellation of five stars, the Southern Cross, symbolizing our unique position in the world and the shared geography of Australians,” Senator Price mentioned in the Senate.
However, her homage was interrupted by Greens Senator Nick McKim, who questioned the decorum. “I’d like to state that if Senator Nampijinpa Price can wrap herself in this flag, I plan to wrap myself in a Palestinian flag,” he remarked.
Senator Bridget McKenzie interrupted, and the Speaker ultimately ruled that Price could proceed but must remove the flag, cautioning against creating ‘a precedent in this place with possibly very regrettable outcomes.’
On Thursday morning, Price doubled down, demanding new laws to ban flag burning.
“My primary concern is that the flag stands as a symbol of our nation. It feels like a betrayal to burn our flag. When we lose soldiers, when our diggers pass away, the Australian flag covers their coffins,” she said.
‘A flag that they fought for our freedoms under. And it is desecration. It is ultimate disrespect to our nation, and I truly would like to see the Albanese government put in legislation to make it illegal to burn our national emblem.’
Jacinta Price has called for burning the Australian flag to be made illegal, telling Sunrise host Nat Barr the act is ‘the ultimate disrespect to our nation’.
Pro-Palestine protesters burned the Australian flag during a rally in Melbourne’s CBD
Barr acknowledged Price’s proposal was voted down in Parliament, asking: ‘What do you think most Australians think about this?’
Price replied: ‘I think most Australians, and I think they demonstrated over the weekend, how they feel about our country and about our flag.
‘I think in recent times, a lot of Australians have been vilified, and the suggestion is that they’re somehow racist if they take pride in who we are as a country and in our flag that represents us as a country.’
‘I find that our prime minister standing in front of three flags divides us, divides us into three people, when we are one people, we are the Australian people, and we need to take that back,’ Price said.
‘We need to reinstate pride in who we are as a country because we are a remarkable country and that should be celebrated and not denigrated.’
Barr went on: ‘If neo-Nazis are marching through the street, some would say in the name of hate, should they be able to wave the flag in the name of hate?’
Price replied: ‘Not in the name of hate, no way.
Jacinta Price (pictured wearing the Australian flag in parliament on Wednesday)
‘I utterly condemn those who call themselves neo-Nazis who are basically inciting hate in our country, just as much as I condemn those who wave flags that belong to terrorist groups such as Hamas or ISIS or carry the photo of the Iranian dictator.
‘You know, those sorts of extremists, there is no room in this country for that level of extremism, which is occurring on both sides, and should be utterly condemned on both sides.
‘This is what has lent itself to the rise in antisemitism in our country.
‘Our Jewish Australians should feel absolutely safe, but they don’t in the current circumstances, but this has stemmed from the prime minister failing to call out those protests on the footsteps of the Opera House after October 7.’
Barr questioned: ‘Are you saying there is a groundswell of hatred in this country that is brewing? What do you want the government to do? What do you think Anthony Albanese should do?’
Price called for Albanese to stand in front of only one flag.
‘Anthony Albanese needs to stand in front of one flag and one flag only, that represents the entirety of the Australian people. He is the leader of this country,’ she said.
‘When you look at us in a global setting, we’re confused. We look as if we are three people. He needs to start reinstating that we should be proud to call ourselves Australians, proud of our history.
‘Whether we’re the first Australians, whether they’re those who have convict heritage, which certainly I do. I’m proud of both sides of my heritage.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has also called for burning the flag to be made illegal
‘Whether we come from a migrant background, which of course, my husband is, and my children wouldn’t be who they are today without all of those elements of what it means to be Australian, and to celebrate this country.
‘This is what we don’t do enough of. Celebrating who we are as a country.
‘That’s what our prime minister should be pushing more of and standing up for.’
While flag burning in Australia is not illegal in itself, you can still be charged if it breaks other laws.
For example, if the flag belongs to someone else, burning it could be treated as wilful damage.
If it happens in public and is considered offensive, disorderly, or threatening, it may fall under public order laws.
If the act creates a fire hazard, you could be charged under fire safety regulations.
And if the burning is done in a way that incites violence or racial hatred, it may breach hate speech or incitement laws.
