A stupid bit of legislation

Bishop lobbies for flag desecration penalties

Federal MP Bronwyn Bishop is campaigning for tougher penalties for acts of violence against the Australian flag.

Mrs Bishop has tabled a Private Member's Bill calling for people who wilfully destroy or mutilate the Australian flag to face up to 6 months in jail or $11,000 in fines.

She is visiting the Shoalhaven in regional New South Wales today, where local MP Joanna Gash supports the push.

Mrs Bishop says under current law, it is not an offence to burn or otherwise vandalise the Australian flag.

"People are amazed actually that there is no protection for our national symbol, so we see strange fictions being resorted to," she said.

"For instance, when the national flag which was flying on an RSL in Sydney was taken down and burned, there was no offence committed by taking the flag and burning it.

"The person was prosecuted for theft."

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That was lifted from the ABC.

Two things:

Have you ever watched Angela Bishop on TV and noticed that she is always filmed from front on? It's because she has a big nose and hates being filmed in a way that shows her snoz from side on.

The other is that this is a stupid bit of legislation. All we need is an understanding that the cops will not prosecute anyone that beats the crap out of someone burning the flag. I can see the free speech angle regarding burning the flag, so I'm not going to support outlawing it. However, my right to free speech can be exercised by punching a flag burner on the nose, and I don't think my right to whack idiots should be infringed either.

Bronnie could of course whack them with her handbag in the best Margaret Thatcher style.

If some yahoos want to burn one out the front of Parliament House, they should just send Tony Abbot out to deal with them. When John Prescott (Deputy PM in the UK) punched a protester who egged him during an election rally, his ratings went up. The general public isn't put off by pollies whacking the occasional fool. I don't think anyone disliked Latham for breaking the arm of a taxi driver. They might have disliked him for many other things, but with apologies to Lettuce, I have been driven by a few dangerous cabbies that need to have both arms and legs broken - in order to keep them off the road.

Anyway, the cops should simply announce that flag burning ceremonies will be sites of tolerance. Tolerance of the burning, and tolerance of any and all broken noses that might result from flicking the Bic.