New Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made a significant change to the podium where the Australian Prime Minister holds press conferences.
Prior to his first address to the nation since being sworn in on Monday, Mr Albanese’s staff replaced two of the three Australian flags behind the podium at Parliament House to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, with the Aboriginal flag placed in the centre.
Mr Albanese didn’t make any announcement about the move to change the flags on the podium before holding the presser.
The decision to display the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags has been described as a ‘monumental’ step forward for race relations in Australia.
Two Australian flags on the press conference podium at parliament house have been replaced with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags
Australian of the Year Grace Tame tweeted a photo of the backdrop along with the caption: ‘Always was, always will be,’ a powerful statement that implies Australian land is Aboriginal and always will be.
Many other Australians applauded the move.
‘Seeing the Aboriginal flag and Torres Strait islander flag behind PM Albanese made me cry,’ one wrote.
Another said: ‘Incredible to see all 3 flags at the first press conference, with the Aboriginal flag in the centre!’
‘An important symbol – the Aboriginal flag is front and centre and hopefully a sincere acknowledgment of the traditional owners, the heart of this land,’ one Aussie wrote.
Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame showed her support for Anthony Albanese’s decision to put the Aboriginal flag at the front and centre of his press conferences as Prime Minister
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison held his press conferences in front of the Australian flag, without the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander flags in the backdrop
Before his first press conference Prime Minister Albanese had the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags added to the press conference room, which previously only had the Australian flag
The monumental change comes after Labor announced it had taken a step forward to ‘fulfilling the promise of the Uluru Statement from the Heart’.
The Uluru Statement proposes introducing an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament into the Australian constitution, and the ALP has pledged to implement it in full.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart was constructed in 2017 by Aboriginal elders and put forward as a petition by the First Nations National Constitutional Convention, which was held over four days.
The group met with more than 1,200 people around the country and drew up the statement, which calls for a ‘First Nations Voice’ in the Australian Constitution.
It asks for a supervised process of ‘agreement-making’ between the Australian government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives to ensure the country is governed universally.
It is a ‘statement of acknowledgement’ that asks for a Makarrata Commission to be involved with and oversee decision making that impacts Aboriginal Australians.
‘Makarrata’ is a Yolngu word that means to come together after a struggle or dispute, to make peace
In it’s indigenous policy, Labor committed to establishing a Makarrata commission, which will develop a national framework for treaty-making and to support and fund local truth-telling efforts, in partnership with First Nations groups and local communities.
‘In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future,’ the Uluru Statement from the Heart reads.
In 2021, it was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize, and was centre stage for Anthony Albanese’s landmark opening speech as Australian Prime Minister.
‘We can protect universal superannuation. And we can write universal childcare into that proud tradition. Together we can fix the crisis in aged care. Together we can make forward equal opportunity for women a national economic and social priority. Together we can and will establish a national anti-corruption commission,’ he said in his victory address on Saturday night.
‘Together we can be a self-reliant, resilient nation, confident in our values and in our place in the world. And together we can embrace the Uluru Statement from the Heart.’