Hi AC,

I'm not into violence, and I can't accept ramming flag poles up the rear end of anyone, and certainly not a Green politician. I would suggest that sometime in the future when we once more visit the issue of a republic, we also consider a flag change, nothing radical, just the removal of the Union Jack and its replacement with a patch of blue. Many Commonwealth countries have chosen to exclude the Union Jack from their national flag, no doubt for the reasons that it does engender unpleasant memories from a colonial past.

I said previously politicians and others give flags a bad name, instead of making them a symbol of national unity for good, some use the flag to instil division within society and promote hate. Far worse than Banbt putting the Australian flag to one side was the sight of Hanson wrapping herself in the same flag. Instead of promoting a message of unity Hanson was using the flag as a symbol of division and exclusion, which in turn promotes hate within society. There is a fine line between the loyalty of patriotism and the evils of excessive nationalism. Hanson and those of One Nation are evil nationalists and not good patriots.

Hi Paul1405,

I never said ram the pole up his date, I just said paddle his butt with it.
I feel a bit sad and sombre about the state of our country today all things told.
Some people might think the changes we've seen in our country have been progress for the better, but I'm not convinced.
I feel as though it's been a slow noose and a downwards spiral as much as there's any achievements worth celebrating.

The flag...
Not sure I even want to go there right now.
This country has changed so much over the years I barely recognise it as my country and my people anymore.

Hi Ac,

I accept you said paddle and not ram, okay,

No one is completely conservative, just as no one is completely progressive, you and I included. As we get older we generally become more conservative. we tend to look back through rose coloured glasses at the good times, forgetting the bad.

"This country has changed so much over the years I barely recognise it as my country and my people anymore." Pontious Maximus could have said the same thing in 57AD; "These young ones today, staying out all night at the Colosseum. listening to drums and bells, where has that good old harp gone. You can't even get a decent feed of ocelot tongues and flamingo eyes anymore, all this fast food at McMarcus, Tortoise burgers and leopard fries, I tell ya what's this empire coming to, its enough to make a man go off and join the Visigoths! Good band that mob, Visigoths, I think they are playing at the Amphitheatre this week, nothing like watching a bit of old time pillage and plunder! It warms the heart, and reminds me of my days in the Seventh Legion, back in Gall, now those were the days of good old pillage and plunder for ya.

SR,

Stop being such a sanctimonious fwit. You claim that she comes from a long line of powerful Aboriginal women yet LT refuses to give out any information on her family. That she belongs to a long line of single mothers suggests that she comes from the shallow end of the gene pool.

Lidia is the perfect Green, her qualifications include:
A high school dropout,
pregnant teen,
Unrehabilitated bankrupt, (which should preclude you from parliament) who is now worth about $3m after getting involved in politics. I would suggest that she should be first in line to face a Federal ICAC.