Page 2641 - Week 12 - Thursday, 16 November 1989
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the ACT Teachers Federation, acting in the interests of its members, has negotiated with and reached agreement with the management of our education system to provide for mobility of teachers between the various segments of the education system, so that aspect of the difficulty is being addressed. I can assure Mr Moore that there is no proposal to in any way change the college system.
ACT Flag
MR WOOD: I direct a question to the Chief Minister,. She may recall that in the adjournment debate a little time ago I spoke about the need for the ACT to acquire its own distinctive flag. I note that there is a coat of arms flying on a flag, I guess as a matter of expediency until something more permanent arrives. I ask: will the Government take some action to provide us with a distinctive flag? Is the Chief Minister able to indicate what that action might be?
MS FOLLETT: Thank you, Mr Wood, for that question. I do think it is important for the Assembly from time to time to turn its mind to matters of symbolism and status now that we have self-government in the ACT and, of course, a flag is very much a part of the symbolism that goes with that. Members, I am sure, know that there is no official flag for the ACT; in fact there is no official flag for Canberra either. There have been attempts from time to time over the years to develop one, but what we have at the moment is the coat of arms of the City of Canberra. A coat of arms was granted to the Federal Capital Commission in 1928. It adopted the practice as a matter of convenience of using that coat of arms on its flag on a red background. It is described as a red background but it is an unattractive colour. It is a sort of a browny dried blood colour that I do not find particularly appealing. All we have at the moment is that Canberra coat of arms which is often used in a symbolic way. No action has ever been taken to have that ratified as an official flag for Canberra, so it is an informal arrangement.
I think that now is the time for the ACT to have its own flag, and I am sure that members would remember the great part that the Northern Territory's new flag played in their transition to self-government. I think it has a symbolic value, something for people to identify with, to create more of a community spirit, more of a recognition that they now have their own government. It is a particularly attractive and modern type of flag, which I would favour.
Mr Wood: And very distinctive.
MS FOLLETT: And very distinctive, as you say, Mr Wood.
Mr Kaine: The flag was always a rallying point on the battlefield, Chief Minister.
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