Labor MPs in Melbourne are refusing to give constituents the free Australian flags they are entitled to in the lead-up to anti-immigration March for Australia rallies planned for August 31.
Upset Aussies told Noticer News they had contacted their local MPs to request flags but were shocked to discover a directive from the Prime Minister’s Office that Senators and Members of the House of Representatives provide them on request was being ignored.
Many electorate offices around Australia are handing out flags, but locals say the offices of Basem Abdo in Calwell, Jo Briskey in Maribyrnong and Peter Khalil in Wills have all told constituents that they are either not entitled to a flag, or that flags are out of stock.
One Melbourne resident said he called his state MP’s office to see if they had a flag after being rejected, and one of the staffers was “appalled and shocked”, saying they had previously worked in a federal MP’s office where handing out free flags was normal practice.
“[They] claimed that having flags in stock was an extremely high priority and that they took pleasure in handing out free flags to their constituents,” he said.
The same man said that when he called the Member for Maribynong’s office last week he was told they were out of stock and there wouldn’t be a delivery until the end of the year.
Then when he called back this week a staffer admitted they did have stock, but said they were not giving them out to individuals, and admitted trying to avoid having to explain the truth to constituents.
Another woman was told by her local Labor MP that because she did not represent a community group or school then she was not eligible to get a flag, forcing her to go to the neighbouring electorate office.
“The response there was much more helpful, and the staff were taken aback by the refusal of my office,” she said.
Noticer News understands that Calwell staff have been given a directive not to give out flags to individuals.
March for Australia organisers have now set locations for rallies in all major cities, and have published flyers urging Aussies to “make your voice heard” at 12pm on Sunday.
The locations are Belmore Park in Sydney, Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane, Rundle Park in Adelaide, Supreme Court Gardens in Perth, Regatta Point in Canberra, Freedom Park in Cairns, Anzac Memorial Park in Townsville, and Salamanca Lawns in Hobart.
The Labor MPs’ refusal to hand out flags comes just weeks after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who has remained silent on the August 31 protests, was slammed for selling flags for $25 instead of giving them out for free.
Noticer News contacted Mr Abdo, Ms Briskey and Mr Khalil for comment.
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