The Claim
“Voted against hanging the aboriginal flag in parliament during NAIDOC week.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The claim is factually accurate regarding the core event. On 10 November 2020, during NAIDOC Week, the Morrison Government Coalition voted against a Labor-led motion to fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in the Senate chamber [1][2][3].
The motion, tabled by Indigenous Labor senators Malarndirri McCarthy and Pat Dodson along with Greens senator Lidia Thorpe, was defeated 29 votes to 28 [4]. The narrow margin (just one vote) meant the motion failed to pass. Liberal senator Anne Ruston stated the government position: "The Government believes that the Australian national flag which represents all Australians is the only appropriate flag to be flown in the Senate chamber" [1].
The vote occurred specifically during NAIDOC Week (National Aboriginals and Islanders Day Observance Committee week), which made the timing politically significant [2][3].
Missing Context
However, this claim omits several critical pieces of context that substantially change the narrative:
1. The Copyright Issue
In September 2020, just two months before this vote, a significant legal dispute over the Aboriginal flag was still unresolved. The Aboriginal flag, designed by Harold Thomas in 1971, was under copyright restrictions that limited its reproduction [5]. When Labor proposed flying the flag in Parliament in September 2020, Minister Ken Wyatt dismissed the proposal as a "stunt," citing the copyright issue as a practical barrier [6].
This was not a trivial concern—the Aboriginal flag had been officially proclaimed as an Australian flag under the Flags Act 1953, but its creator retained copyright, allowing him to restrict commercial use. This legal uncertainty was used as justification for the government's position [6].
2. Government Resolved the Copyright Issue Shortly After
What is most significant: The Morrison Government resolved the copyright dispute just two months after voting against this motion. On 25 January 2022, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the government had acquired copyright to the Aboriginal flag from Harold Thomas for over $20 million, making it freely available for public use [7][8]. This shows the government moved to address the underlying issue, albeit through a different mechanism than flying it in Parliament.
3. Labor Then Implemented the Policy Once in Power
After the 2022 election, when Labor returned to government, one of its first actions was to install the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in Parliament House. According to the Parliamentary Library, "One of the noticeable changes that occurred with the new 47th Parliament is the flying of the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian National Flag in the Senate and House chambers" [9]. This occurred under Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2023.
This indicates the issue was not fundamentally about indigenous symbolism or respect—it became possible after copyright was resolved. Labor supported flying the flags in 2020 but only implemented it after returning to power in 2022, suggesting the copyright concern was legitimate.
4. Government's Stated Reasoning
The government's position was not arbitrary. Minister Anne Ruston stated the Australian flag was "the only appropriate flag to be flown in the Senate chamber" [1]. Ken Wyatt, the Indigenous Affairs Minister (himself Aboriginal), argued this was about not making "symbolism" a substitute for substantive policy on Indigenous disadvantage [10]. While critics called this "mean-spirited," the government's position had a coherent rationale, even if one disagreed with it.
5. This Was Not Unique to the Coalition
The practical barrier—copyright restrictions on the Aboriginal flag—existed regardless of which government was in power. The previous Labor government (2007-2013) had also not flown the flags in Parliament, and the copyright issue predated the Coalition's 2013-2022 period.
Source Credibility Assessment
Original Sources
Junkee [1] is an Australian digital media outlet known for left-wing progressive commentary and youth-focused content. The article is written in opinion-editorial style with emotionally charged language ("mean-spirited," "Even though we are in the middle of NAIDOC week"). While Junkee reports factual events accurately, the framing is explicitly partisan. It presents the government vote negatively without substantial exploration of the copyright reasoning or the government's stated position.
Parliamentary Hansard Records [2] are primary government documents and are authoritative sources. These would contain the official record of the vote, speaker statements, and debate. These are objective records, though they require interpretation of intent.
Secondary sources used (Central News, The New Daily, Mamamia, 9News) are mainstream Australian outlets that reported the event factually but with varying degrees of critical tone toward the government. None substantially explored the copyright issue or provided balanced framing of both sides' reasoning.
Balanced Perspective
The Criticism
Critics of the Coalition's 2020 vote had legitimate grievances:
- The timing during NAIDOC Week appeared insensitive to Indigenous constituencies [3]
- A one-vote margin (29-28) suggested weak conviction from the government
- Ken Wyatt's argument that this was "symbolism" rather than substantive policy was seen as dismissive of Indigenous representation concerns [10]
- The government had resources to resolve copyright barriers but chose not to before voting against the motion
The Government's Perspective
The government's position also had merit:
- The Aboriginal flag faced legitimate copyright restrictions at that time that created legal uncertainty [6]
- The government eventually resolved the copyright issue completely, which was necessary before flying the flag could proceed without legal complications [7][8]
- Minister Ken Wyatt (an Indigenous minister) argued the vote reflected concern about "symbolism over substance" in Indigenous policy [10]
- Establishing new protocols for parliamentary flags is not a trivial administrative matter
The Broader Context
The copyright resolution by the Morrison Government in January 2022 was significant. By acquiring copyright for over $20 million, the government removed the legal barrier that had prevented any government from flying the flag in Parliament without potential legal complications [7][8]. This suggests the government's 2020 position—while appearing obstructive—was based on a real legal constraint that the government then chose to resolve through acquisition rather than legal gamble.
PARTIALLY TRUE
5.0
out of 10
The Coalition government did vote against the motion to fly the Aboriginal flag in Parliament during NAIDOC Week 2020 (29 votes to 28). However, the claim fundamentally misrepresents the issue by omitting:
- The legitimate copyright restrictions that existed at the time [6][7]
- The government's subsequent resolution of the copyright barrier [7][8]
- That Labor, once in power and after copyright was resolved, immediately implemented the same policy [9]
- The coherent reasoning behind the government's position, even if one disagreed with it [1][10]
The claim presents a one-dimensional narrative suggesting the Coalition opposed indigenous symbolism or rights. The fuller context reveals the issue was more complex: a genuine legal barrier (copyright) that the Coalition eventually resolved (at significant expense), after which Labor implemented flying the flags as soon as it returned to power.
A fair characterization would be: "The Coalition opposed flying the flags in 2020, citing copyright concerns that were unresolved at that time. The government later acquired copyright of the flag in 2022, after which Labor implemented the policy in 2023."
Final Score
5.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
The Coalition government did vote against the motion to fly the Aboriginal flag in Parliament during NAIDOC Week 2020 (29 votes to 28). However, the claim fundamentally misrepresents the issue by omitting:
- The legitimate copyright restrictions that existed at the time [6][7]
- The government's subsequent resolution of the copyright barrier [7][8]
- That Labor, once in power and after copyright was resolved, immediately implemented the same policy [9]
- The coherent reasoning behind the government's position, even if one disagreed with it [1][10]
The claim presents a one-dimensional narrative suggesting the Coalition opposed indigenous symbolism or rights. The fuller context reveals the issue was more complex: a genuine legal barrier (copyright) that the Coalition eventually resolved (at significant expense), after which Labor implemented flying the flags as soon as it returned to power.
A fair characterization would be: "The Coalition opposed flying the flags in 2020, citing copyright concerns that were unresolved at that time. The government later acquired copyright of the flag in 2022, after which Labor implemented the policy in 2023."
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (10)
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1
centralnews.com.au
The Federal Government has voted against a Labor Party motion to hang the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian flag in the Senate chamber.
Central News -
2PDF
Senate 2020 11 10 8304
Parlinfo Aph Gov • PDF Document -
3
thenewdaily.com.au
The federal government believes it is "appropriate" to only fly the Australian flag in the Senate, voting down a motion to fly Indigenous flags.
Thenewdaily Com -
4
sbs.com.au
Labor senators Malarndirri McCarthy and Patrick Dodson and Greens senator Lidia Thorpe put forward a motion to fly the flags in the upper house during NAIDOC Week.
NITV -
5
abc.net.au
A political stoush has broken out over the copyright restrictions on the national flag representing Aboriginal Australians.
Abc Net -
6
nit.com.au
In the midst of NAIDOC Week the Federal Government has voted against a motion to fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in the Senate chamber.The motion was Indigenous-led, pushed by Labo...
National Indigenous Times -
7
abc.net.au
The artist who designed the Aboriginal flag, a national symbol of Aboriginal Australia, agrees to transfer copyright to the Commonwealth for it to be used "unaltered, proudly and without restriction".
Abc Net -
8
theguardian.com
Theguardian
-
9
aph.gov.au
One of the noticeable changes that occurred with the new 47th Parliament is the flying of the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian National Flag in the Senate and House chambers. This reform has been some time in the making. Following a request
Aph Gov -
10
sbs.com.au
The federal minister for Indigenous Australians says more people should be focused on changing the lives of Indigenous people rather than ‘symbolism’ of Indigenous flags.
NITV
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.