Mornington Peninsula Shire Council in damage control after replacing Australian flag with LGBTQ Pride flag on school flyer
The LGBTQ+ flag was displayed instead of the Australian flag alongside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
Mayor Anthony Marsh on Thursday told SkyNews.com.au "going forward" the council will ensure the Australian flag is included on all publications and materials it puts out.
'All children are welcome at our kindergartens," Mayor Marsh said.
"The flyer in question was produced before Council clarified its position on the use of flags. Going forward, where flags are flown or appear in Council publications or materials, the Australian Flag will be included. Council will ensure this is applied consistently.'
On Tuesday night, Councillor Bruce Ranken brought the motion as a matter of 'urgent business' which did not 'sit within policy' and said a response was needed to be made to show the community this incident was 'not good enough'.
While the motion was passed 9-1, Councillor Max Patton voted against the motion over concerns the motion would have 'unintended consequences' citing Victorian Government policy which is 'acknowledged as a prominent flag as well'.
Councillor Patton told SkyNews.com.au on Thursday he wanted to make it abundantly clear the absence of the national flag on the publication was an "oversight" which needed correcting, but he wanted a clearer explanation of how ratepayers would be affected if the motion was passed.
"If a footy club or community group leases a shire building and only has one flagpole with their flag on it, will they be forced to remove their flag and fly the national flag? Will ratepayers be forced to pay for an additional flagpole so both can be flown? There is a chance that this could turn into quite an expensive exercise, and I want to know how we will be impacted before making a decision," he said.
"I would have supported a motion calling for a report into how this happened and making measured recommendations for a policy-aligned path forward. But without knowing how it might financially impact our community or clubs who lease our buildings or ratepayers I could not support the motion."
CEO Mark Stoermer said the policy did not cover printed material and that discussions had taken place internally to change the policy.
Cr Ranken said the motion was to provide boundaries to ensure the national symbol was 'never overlooked'.
'It also brings consistency, clarity and respect to our practices, guided by national protocols and supported by a review of current procedures,' he said.
'The core of this motion is straight forward, it affirms the Australian national flag as the primary and preeminent flag across all Mornington Peninsula Shire buildings, properties and events where flags are displayed.'
Cr Ranken said the motion sought to 'prioritise' national standards and the council's own policy within the organisation so there is 'no confusion, and no repeat' of an instance of omitting the Australian flag in the future.
Mayor Marsh said flags had been a problem 'for a while' and noted the matter was not a question of 'flags on poles', which councillors had debated, but the display of flags on documents and other communications.
Mayor Marsh said he had received calls at 10pm on Monday and 'all throughout the day' on Tuesday and said the motion was something 'we need to get right'.
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