o, sung wu, we always enjoy the annual rugby league clash between our team The Tigers, 90% Maori, and 'La Per' 90% Aboriginal, the two best teams in the comp. Done the haka on them last year, but it didn't do us any good, they still won by about 10.

An interfering Labor PM, Whitlam, who couldn't manage the important things such as the economy, was responsible for 'that' unsingable dirge of an anthem.

The imperious Whitlam, the cartoonists had him imagining he could walk on water, also got every merchant and naval seaman completely offside by suddenly and unilaterally announcing that the blue version of the national flag was to be used by the Navy and he assumed, by merchant and recreational skippers. It was just another of his 'captain's picks' of which there were many, as he sought to occupy himself and the electorate with 'cakes and circuses' as the nation headed towards banana republic status.

The Australian Red Ensign continues to fly proudly on thousands of vessels daily. In the face-off between an imperious dictator like Whitlam (and his 'International Socialist' mob) and the citizens of Australia, that is what civil disobedience does. The Canberra feds have had to recognise that in writing, they couldn't do anything else.

Now along comes 'Whatever She Says' L'il Willie Shorten, the sly and devious fixer for Union bosses, who hasn't got a policy to speak of and would very much prefer to spruik trashing the Marriage Act and flags instead.

My father was given when he was a boy a flag from the first World war the flag with red as the background instead of blue. I passed it on some 40 years ago to a boy collecting national flags.

Beach "dictator like Whitlam" you are so far right, your wrong. What sort of country do you have in mind for Australia. I can still remember you calling foe a 'Citizen Militia'. In your ideal world we would all be celebrating 'Fearless Leaders Birthday'.

It will be interesting to see what sort of designs
people come up with for a new flag - when and if
Voters decide to replace the current one.
Our current Prime Minister does not appear to be
in a hurry for a Republic. He seems to think that
we should wait until after the Queen's reign.
Of course we don't need to be a Republic to have a
new flag - although I think it would make more
sense if we were.

Dear Paul,

here's a link about the achievements of Gough Whitlam.

Strange they talk about his achievements as being many.
and all positive.

I guess it would only be a few people who'd see the list
mentioned on the link as negative and unimportant.

http://www.whitlam.org/gough_whitlam/achievements