Instead of fixing roads, they're fixing "feelings" - Mornington Peninsula Shire takes aim at national pride in the name of cultural safety.
Mornington Madness: When Councils Fight Flags Instead of Fixing Footpaths
If you thought the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council was in the business of potholes, planning permits, and picking up bins, think again.
The local bureaucrats have decided to tackle the real crisis of our time: flags.
Not housing affordability. Not infrastructure. Not even parking fines.
No, the council is hard at work rewriting its Flag Policy, because apparently, the sight of the Australian flag might cause someone to break out in hives.
According to a draft policy released this week, the council is concerned that our national flag could be "culturally unsafe" for some communities.
Are they mad? What exactly do they fear? That the Union Jack might leap off the pole and commit a hate crime?
Apparently some people think it's a hate symbol these days….
It gets better.
Council materials reportedly state that the flag "may not be safe to be displayed prominently in certain settings."
What "settings"? Australia?
The good people of Mornington Peninsula seem confused about whether they're running a coastal shire or chairing a crisis session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Here's a thought: if an Australian council - funded by Australian taxpayers - thinks the Australian flag is problematic, then maybe it's not the flag that's out of place.
This is the sort of institutional derangement that occurs when local government forgets it was elected to fix footpaths, not feelings.
If you need a 12 page policy to explain where to put a flag, and you're spending ratepayer money on consultants to ensure no one feels "unrepresented" by a symbol of national unity, then frankly, you shouldn't be trusted with a lunch order, let alone civic leadership.
I love our national flag. It stands for our history, our people, and our values. It should be displayed proudly, prominently, and without apology.
And if that offends you? Well, maybe you're in the wrong country.
Senator Ralph Babet.
https://news.senatorbabet.com.au/p/local-council-declares-war-on-the