Debate flies over flagged changes

QUEENSLAND state pride looks likely to win favour in the Cairns Regional Council chambers following a confusing and confused bit of bureaucratic to-and-fro.

The last council meeting resolved to get rid of the Queensland flag hanging in the chambers behind Mayor Bob Manning’s head to make way for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

Division 9 Cr Brett Olds had tried to amend the decision to allow the Queensland flag, replete with its Union Jack, blue Maltese cross and imperial crown, to stay on the wall alongside the other three flags.

“I do think we should keep the Queensland flag in there as well,” he said.

“I’ve got no problems adding the Torres Strait and Aboriginal ones, but is it possible to have four?”

The question kicked off a baffled discussion about the strictness of flag protocol, whether Canberra would need to give advice on the matter, and the Royal Australian Navy’s rules about displaying the Australian national flag higher than all others.

In the end, the original motion – to nix the Queensland flag and introduce the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in its place – won out with only Division 7 Cr Max O’Halloran voting in the negative.

The agenda for today’s council meeting has a new item on the list recommending the former decision be rescinded to allow the reintroduction of the Queensland flag.

Assuming it gets the green light, the new order will place the Australian flag on the far left, followed by the Queensland flag, Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait flag – all level with each other.

“In order to accommodate additional flags, it was proposed to suspend the flags vertically from the ceiling rather than in the current position …” the report states.