Ed Should Australia change its flag?

[arthwollipot]

No, there's not really a serious proposal on the table to change the flag yet. But the University of Western Sydney conducted a survey to find out which of several options respondents would prefer as a replacement for the current flag.

Australia Day: 'Southern Horizon' most popular alternative to Union Jack flag design, survey finds

The design, dubbed the Southern Horizon, was voted most popular in a survey of 8,140 people conducted by Western Sydney University.

The survey offered respondents a choice of six alternative Australian flag designs. Of those who took part, 6,427 chose a favourite flag.

Dr Benjamin T Jones, who oversaw the survey, said the Southern Horizon garnered 31 per cent of the vote, followed closely by the Reconciliation Flag, with 28 per cent.

Other designs included in the survey were the well-known Eureka flag (15 per cent), the Golden Wattle (12 per cent), the Sporting flag (7 per cent) and the Southern Cross flag (6 per cent).

...

Of the respondents, 64 per cent said they believed the Australian flag should change, while 36 per cent said it should remain the same.

Eighty-eight per cent of participants identified as having British, Irish or European heritage, while 3 per cent identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

"Australia has never had a truly democratic process to choose a national flag. The 1901 competition for a flag of government — not a national flag — required a British element and British approval," Dr Jones said.

"The response to this survey shows a proper national conversation on the Australian flag and a democratic vote is long overdue."

Australian Flag Proposal (Southern Horizon) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], by Bmoxey (Own work), from Wikimedia Commons

 

[Tony Stark]

Well, if the people of Australia would prefer a different flag, it should be done.

Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk

 

[tuco]

I like this one better.

 

[cullennz]

I'm not letting it happen my Aussie brothers.

The colours are too ugly

 

[fagin]

That's awful. You shouldn't let a three year old design your flag.

Perhaps a wombat with lasers coming out of it's eyes?

 

[sackett]

Change that swoony yellow and green surge to a straight red-brown band with a stylized saltbush in one corner. Wait, lose the saltbush. There. Australia on a flag.

Hell no I'm not joking, excuse me, takin' tha pish.

 

[Ladewig]

As I said in the New Zealand thread, I am amazed that there are countries that don't have their national color(s) on their flags.

As for this option, well, I've seen better. But I like the effort.

 

[tuco]

Starry skies above and moral landscape beneath

 

[TragicMonkey]

Let the Nation Building Authority design the new flag! I'm sure Karsten could come up with some great ideas!

 

[Norman Alexander]

As I said in the New Zealand thread, I am amazed that there are countries that don't have their national color(s) on their flags.

As for this option, well, I've seen better. But I like the effort.

Australia's "official" national colours are green-and-gold.

http://www.australianflag.org.au/national-colours/

 

[lionking]

It's not important enough to waste time and money on. Plus, the arguments over replacement flags will be ridiculous.

 

[Norman Alexander]

It's not important enough to waste time and money on. Plus, the arguments over replacement flags will be ridiculous.

True. It's not a show-stopper for the republican push. However the monarchists will very likely try to make it one.

 

[Ladewig]

Australia's "official" national colours are green-and-gold.

http://www.australianflag.org.au/national-colours/

Yes.
I was amazed that Australia went for a century without having her national colors on her flag.

 

[psionl0]

It would be premature to change the flag before Australia becomes a republic.

 

[Brian-M]

Why not just go with the Eureka flag?

It's already familiar to many Australians, it has historical significance, and it's already available for purchase through many different outlets, whether actual flags or merchandise with the Eureka flag printed on it, such as T-shirts, 4WD wheel-covers, stubbie-holders, ect.

Hell, it's Australia Day today. I'm getting tired of the same old flag with a gaudy Union Jack in the corner every year, let's get a new flag.

 

[Brian-M]

It would be premature to change the flag before Australia becomes a republic.

After the fiasco with the last referendum on that, I doubt it's going to happen any time soon.

 

[psionl0]

After the fiasco with the last referendum on that, I doubt it's going to happen any time soon.

Don't forget that Australia had a "mean and tricky" monarchist for a PM at the time and made sure that the model that got put to a vote would be too controversial to pass.

There are two types of models that could pass a referendum:

1. The McGarvie model - one in which the Queen is replaced by a constitutional council and the GG is called the "President" but nothing else is changed.
2. One in which the President is elected by the voters and has some powers which he could legitimately exercise autonomously.

I personally would like to see the PM abolished and the President head the executive like is done in the US but politicians are averse to reforming a system that hands them power.

 

[cullennz]

Also.

What's with the big Jesus star?

 

[Orphia Nay]

I think we should change it.

This is the best new design I've seen so far:

https://twitter.com/captainturtle/status/512699531897491457

The concentric circles are a symbol for a meeting place.

 

[TJM]

Of the choices I can see why Southern Horizon is preferred. The others are hideous, except for Southern Cross (lower right) which is the one I'd vote for.