Aboriginal Flag

Mr BOYER (Wright) (15:29): Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting students from Surrey Downs R-7 School for a tour of parliament. Like many members of parliament, I greatly enjoy these school tours. I have remarked on many occasions that the questions asked by students, compared with the questions that are normally asked by adults, are often more difficult to answer and not always for the reasons you might think.

For instance, we all know that children tend to look at the world in a different way and in a different light and tend to see logic in questions that evades adults. On this occasion last week, I am pleased to say that Surrey Downs pupils were very knowledgeable about our democratic system and parliamentary processes, but one question in particular greatly took me by surprise and I must say that I was unable to give the student the answer she deserved.

Year 6 student Bella asked me why there were Australian and South Australian flags flying in this chamber but no Aboriginal flag. I did not know the answer to this question but made a commitment to Bella, her classmates and her teachers to investigate and deliver a grievance on the subject, which we will provide to the school as a video so the class can see the results of her fantastic question.

So I direct this grieve through you, Speaker, to those Surrey Downs year 6 students in the hope that it will show them that our representative democracy is actually alive and well. I hope that they all take some inspiration from this and that in some small way perhaps it actually acts to insulate them from the all-pervading cynicism and negativity around politics and politicians that will soon envelop them as they make their way into their young adult years.

At first blush, one may be forgiven for thinking that there must be a very simple and logical reason why there is not an Aboriginal flag flying in this chamber. However, that in itself I think is a lesson to all of us that sometimes there is no sensible or logical explanation for something and that we must always stay diligent in questioning the status quo if we are to do our jobs as members of parliament effectively.

The truth of the matter is that, so far in the investigations that I have made since Bella asked that fantastic question, nobody has been able to give me an answer to why we have an Aboriginal flag flying very proudly on top of parliament as it should but no Aboriginal flag to accompany those flags that we see here in this place before us today. So, on behalf of Bella and her classmates, I use this opportunity today to start a conversation about whether or not we should move to display an Aboriginal flag in this place.

I certainly do not seek to make this issue a political one because not only would that do Aboriginal people a great disservice but it would also reinforce many of those stereotypes that I mentioned before that Bella and her classmates will soon be exposed to regarding politics, politicians and our motives for doing things. I also note that this should not be a decision made in the absence of consultation with Aboriginal people. That would be to repeat a most grievous mistake that has occurred in parliaments across Australia and the world for hundreds of years.

It is incumbent upon us as members of parliament to take action when our constituents raise issues like the one Bella and her classmates raised with me. I hope this grievance shows them that they do have representatives in this place who are willing to take those questions and turn them into action. It is also incumbent upon our students to make sure they are well informed enough about not only our parliamentary procedures but also the issues that are of concern to them so they can influence the decisions that are made in this place.

I am very pleased to see that Surrey Downs R-7 School is making sure that its students are informed and, even at a very young age, are capable of constructively engaging in the decision-making processes that happen here in this place. I look forward to providing updates to the school on what comes of our conversation around an Aboriginal flag flying here in this chamber, and I look forward to further involvement from those students in that process.