The issue of the Aboriginal flag flying on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and maybe becoming the national flag has sparked a fiery debate on The Project.
After learning that erecting a new flag pole would cost $25 million, the NSW government decided on Sunday to permanently replace the New South Wales state flag over the Harbour Bridge with the Aboriginal flag.
However, when Steve Price objected to the notion, the panel’s debate over whether Australia had reached the point of “embracing” the Indigenous flag as the country’s flag became vehement.
‘I think Australians support the flag they’ve got,’ he said. ‘We don’t need to change the flag, who wants to change the flag?’
‘We have one flag, and that’s the Australian flag. You want to have a referendum on the flag? Good luck, buddy.’
Price’s co-hosts, Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar, disagreed and said in the future there may be a mood for change.
‘I think as generations go on that’ll change,’ claimed Bickmore.
Price swiftly responded: ‘No, it won’t.’
Helliar sided with Bickmore over the possibility that the Australian flag could be changed in the future to the Indigenous flag.
‘Trying to get rid of the Australian flag, would you?’ Price asked.
‘I’m happy to have a discussion about it, absolutely,’ Helliar replied.
Price stressed that there would need to be referendum held before such a decision was made.
Prior to learning that adding a flag pole would cost an astounding $25 million, the NSW government had intended to fly the Australian, NSW, and Aboriginal flags above the Harbour Bridge together.
Despite Poseidon Poles and Flags, the business hired to install the additional pole on the northern beaches, providing a quote of merely $200,000, Premier Dominic Perrottet revealed the staggering sum last month.
The concept was abandoned by Mr. Perrottet, who claimed that efforts aimed at bridging the gap for Indigenous Australians would be a better use of the funds.
‘This is a practical and pragmatic solution which makes sense and ensures that we celebrate our nation’s ancient heritage alongside its modern history in a continuing story, which we can all be part of, and celebrate together as one,’ Mr Perrottet said.
As part of NAIDOC celebrations, the Aboriginal flag has been flying over the bridge for the previous week and was supposed to be taken down. Instead, it will stay put indefinitely.
The Sydney pole company’s Lauren Mace speculated that the exorbitant price may have been driven by worries about safety.
‘It’s a lot of money,’ you say. For a flag to stand on the harbour bridge firmly, I believe there needs to be a lot of work done,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
She noted that if the work was done, the bridge, one of Sydney’s busiest thoroughfares, would need to be closed, which may account for a significant portion of the enormous cost.
The premier said the price ‘doesn’t seem to pass the pub test’ and immediately ordered the NSW Transport Department to review the contract, before deciding against it.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he ‘didn’t know’ why putting up a third flag would cost taxpayers so much
The state flag will be relocated to the Macquarie Street East redevelopment, near the Barracks at Hyde Park.
Mr Perrottet is hoping to establish the site as a new historical hub for the city.
‘The work that we’re doing on Macquarie Street – I will ensure that the NSW flag has a place there of prominence so that people can see it, appreciate it, learn from it and value it,’ he said.
The Herald reported the price was actually $10million lower than the figure Mr. Perrottet made public, but he still decided to channel the funds elsewhere.
Gladys Berejiklian, the Premier’s predecessor, had previously rejected calls to permanently display the Aboriginal flag.
The extra $25million money will be moved into the $400million redevelopment of Goat Island in Sydney which will be handed back to traditional owners.