Peter Dutton Vows to Remove Indigenous Flags from Press Events if Elected

The opposition leader claims displaying multiple flags divides the nation, prompting backlash from Indigenous leaders and government officials.

Overview

Peter Dutton announced he would only stand in front of the Australian national flag at press events if elected prime minister, excluding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
Dutton argued that displaying multiple flags creates unnecessary division and emphasized unity under a single national flag.
Indigenous leaders and government officials, including Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy, criticized Dutton's stance as divisive and harmful to reconciliation efforts.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were officially recognized as flags of Australia under the Flags Act in 1995, symbolizing the nation's Indigenous heritage.
Critics, including former human rights commissioner Mick Gooda, described Dutton's position as an attempt to erase Indigenous representation from Australian politics.