Council says no to Australian flag at Bondi (1 Viewer)

[0o0]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17709755%5E1702,00.html

disgraceful.

 

[gordo]

hardly, who cares.

 

[withoutaface]

Is the council staffed by NUS hacks by any chance

 

[Not-That-Bright]

They did not ban it, they simply did not want to put up an australian flag after a riot where people wanted 'aussies to reclaim our beaches'.

 

[Rafy]

There was no flag there to start with, so its not like they took the flag down in respons to the riots. PLus there are still many other Australian flag flying elsewhere around te beach. In question is the placement of a NEW flag.

Morris Iemma's lashing out at the council was very premeture and before he had all the facts.

 

[xeuyrawp]

what the fuck?

Our flag fueling race riots? That's stupid, only someone who HATES our flag would be fuelled to hatred by it -- ie, people I don't want in our country.

 

[sparkl3z]

wierd. unfortunately though, it's not safe to carry ANY sort of flag these days

 

[Wolfowitz]

It's really just a case of no one knowing anything. But the council is half-right, the Australian flag is becoming a Confederate-esque salute to racism - it used to be the Eureka flag but no one took the Rockinghorse riots of 1990 seriously. They were right to stop the building raising a flag until the racism issue is dealt with.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

Flag issue misunderstood, council says

...Waverley Mayor Mora Main said the pavilion flag issue was also debated and rejected in March, well before the Cronulla riot.

She said she was open to discussions with the federal and state governments, and the decision not to fly the flag was influenced solely by financial and heritage considerations.

[...]

Ms Main insisted the issue was being misunderstood, and the decision was about set-up and ongoing costs that would fall to the council.

"The one-up capital cost of a flag might be $300 but it might cost council, in wages, forever, quite a lot of money - it would run into thousands," she said.

Given that Australian flags already flew at the Bondi and North Bondi Surf Clubs and the RSL - all within 700 metres of the Pavilion - Ms Main said it seemed "perhaps a bit over the top".

Deputy mayor George Newhouse also denied any link to racial tensions.
"... we proudly fly the flag at Bondi and this decision has absolutely nothing to do with racism or Cronulla," he said.

"The Pavilion is a heritage-listed building and it will cost thousands of dollars to perform a heritage study and then erect the poles, which don't exist."

Mr Newhouse said raising the issue again in December, after the recent unrest, was "purely to manipulate the flag and the Cronulla racism issue".

Full Article, SMH

These things get blown way out of proportion, but it is to be expected - this is just the sort of thing the media latches on to (Today Tonight was probably the worst culprit, with no mention of the council's explanation at all).

 

[erawamai]

These things get blown way out of proportion, but it is to be expected - this is just the sort of thing the media latches on to (Today Tonight was probably the worst culprit, with no mention of the council's explanation at all).

I saw the TT one...omg PC gone mad

 

[walrusbear]

i can't believe this has been in the media at all

 

[sparkl3z]

media usually likes taking unbelievable things into the media.....

 

[Mountain.Dew]

mmmmm looks like if u want to put a flag anywhere, u'll have to carry around every the flag of every single nation...talk about the flag industry prospering and the truckies jumping for joy now that they have something to do...carrying around flags for people in their semi-trailers. lol

its absolutely ridiculous, that article. political correctness has bitten its own tail, and now, has become full circle.

 

[SashatheMan]

they should take down, the red and yellow beach safety zone flags, they seem to fuel anger aswell.

 

[xeuyrawp]

they should take down, the red and yellow beach safety zone flags, they seem to fuel anger aswell.

Yeah. And I think the bright coloured uniforms of life-savers are also morally offensive. They should stick to a more drab colour...

 

[Salima]

I think the flag shouldn't be baned, it is the australian flag after all. It is the flag of all those who live in australia.

Just becuase idiots took the flag and ran around with it beign racist doesn't mean every time the flag is hoisted up that it represents that racism. It's just the countries flag for god's sake!

 

[MoonlightSonata]

It's not being banned.

The use of the word "banned" in this context is just an emotive expression by the media. There is currently no flag. They were looking at putting one up. They decided not to, a long period before the Cronulla violence, for economic reasons.

 

[leetom]

'gone' mad?

You mean it was once sane?

No, he' just using sarcasm to express his disdain for you 'It's political correctness gone mad!' types.

Strolling through George Street last night, I took notice of the banner flying atop a pub- the Southern Cross currently used on the national flag but standing alone without a Union Jack. I liked it.