The motion, tabled in Queensland Parliament by Robbie Katter, son of Senator Bob Katter, would amend current laws and allow people to be jailed for six months if they publicly burn the Australian flag, as well as flags including the Union Jack, Commonwealth Star, and Southern Cross.
Katter shared an image on social media depicting him and fellow KAP MP Shane Knuth holding the Australian flag, arguing his viewpoint “should never be controversial.”
“You can criticise the government. You can disagree with the direction of the country. But burning the Australian flag in public crosses that line,” he said.
“That flag represents our people, our freedoms, and every Australian who has stood under it to serve.”
He claimed he wasn’t looking to ban protest, but that the Australian flag needed to be respected as a symbol that represented the entire nation.
His law tabled would create a specific offence outlawing the burning of the Australian flag in public, with anyone found guilty of the offence being able to receive a maximum penalty of 40 penalty units or six months’ imprisonment.
In justification for the bill, Katter’s submission said the flag is more than a physical object.
“It is a national emblem that represents the Commonwealth, the Australian people, and the country’s shared civic identity,” he said.
“Public acts of burning the flag, particularly where staged to provoke confrontation or intimidate others, may undermine social cohesion and create flashpoints for unrest.”
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