Dear CJ,

What I feel needs to happen first is that
Australia needs to reflect on its current status.

In other words does it want to be a
fully independent country
or remain a British colony?

A Referendum needs to be put to the people
regarding this matter.

Only after that can a new flag be considered.

If the vote is for Australia becoming a fully
independent country, respectful of its British
history, then of course the country will need a
new flag to reflect an authentic and modern
Australian identity.

The current flag through
its design and history reflects the long past
society that was Australia when it was an
integral part of the former British Empire.

I say put Ray Martin on a basic wage & see how much priority he'll give to a new flag. You can put an idiot into an Armani suit & Gucci shoes but does it make him smarter ?
Could the pro change-the-flag mob explain how another piece of cloth will lower unemployment, make teachers smarter, provide better health services etc. etc.
I am a newcomer to this country & I see absolutely no point in changing the flag, especially to merely satisfy the ungrateful & unappreciative hangers on.

Dear Individual,

Just by way of clarification:

Ray Martin came from an inpoverished background
who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps.
What he has today - he worked for and
earned every cent. And judging by his talent and
success - he doesn't qualify for the derogatory
title you assigned to him. I agree with you - that
clothes don't necessarily make the man - but they
certainly help in the impression that's created when
applying for a job.

This debate is not about being anti - something.
It is simply - pro - Australian.

In Australia, publicity seekers and the odd try-hard know they can get away with dumping on the national flag and boy, do some of them abuse that privilege to let all of their hatreds hang out! It is very sly to link the flag with racism but it fools no-one, everyone is a wake up to the usual suspects and given time it will rebound on them.

Freedom of speech is something we cherish and will be celebrating on Australia Day.

Looking forward:
The variety on the groaning tables on Australia Day grows every year - a gastronomic tour of the world starting with Sydney Rock Oysters, Oh joy! Australian wines for me though.

I think a new flag is the least of our concerns at the moment. The reality is that, even if we ditch the poms, they will always remain a part of our history. Until that part of our history is something to be truly ashamed of - and yes, there is a lot to be ashamed of in our history, but I don't think our nation's underlying pomminess is a great concern - we might as well acknowledge it.

Just as Canada ditched the Union Jack, Hawaii kept it. That doesn't make Hawaii a British dominion - it simply reflects the history of the island state. South Africa - in a bid to move away from its past - ditched the old Dutch flag with its Union Jack, Orange Freestate and Transvaal flags stuck in the middle. That was a 'clean slate' sort of move - they wanted to leave the old regime behind and build a new one.

If we feel that we need to make a break from the past, then perhaps we should change our flag. But what are we breaking away from? Every nation has skeletons in its closet, and ours are among the least abhorrent skeletons out there. Like I said, if we feel the need for a 'new beginning', then a new flag might be an appropriate symbol of that. But if we are not planning to change anything else, then why change our flag?

I think we are putting the cart before the horse. Are we able to change our flag without the authority of the Queen? We are still a monarchy.

Also, I hate it when people make comments about diggers fighting for 'that flag'. There are also, alot of soldiers who would like to see it changed. These sort of emotive comments have no bearing on the argument.