Olympic hero Dawn Fraser calls for flag burners to be jailed or deported
Olympic hero Dawn Fraser has called for people who burn the Australian flag to be jailed or deported, as war veterans speak of their sorrow at the “disrespectful” act.
The outspoken eight-time Olympic medallist has thrown her support behind a push to criminalise burning the national flag after a protester torched one in Brisbane during an Invasion Day event on Australia Day.
Ms Fraser said it should “absolutely” be a criminal act to burn the Australian flag that armed forces fought and lost their lives for.
“I think anyone who burns our flag does not respect our country,” Ms Fraser said.
“And if they don’t respect our country, if they come from another country they should be sent back.
“But if they are Australians and they’ve burnt our flag, they should go straight to jail.”
The 88-year-old world champion swimmer described it as an incredible honour competing under the Australian flag.
Ms Fraser was Australia’s first female Olympic flag-bearer, fulfilling the honour at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony.
“It doesn’t matter if you get first, second or third, but to see the flag being raised at an Olympic Games gives you great honour,” she said.
Ms Fraser said desecrating it was disrespectful to the sacrifices of the country’s armed forces.
“Servicemen and women have fought and sacrificed for our country under our flag,” she said.
Veteran advocate Marc Diplock, a former serviceman who runs the Salute for Service wellbeing centre, agreed there should be legal ramifications for destroying the flag.
“It represents so many sacrifices made by Australian Defence Force personnel over the past 120 years,” he said.
“From historic sacrifices, to those who served in Afghanistan to those lives taken post-military service from PTSD.
“Myself personally, I had family in the (World War I) Battle of Beersheba, the Australian Light Horse Brigade charge. It’s the flag that has shaped Australia. For those people who fought or served under that flag, it is tragic to see people burning it on the national news.
“It is wrong that you can burn it without being held accountable.”
Vietnam veteran Peter Watts said he had seen many servicemen and women farewelled with the Australian flag draped over their coffin.
“My feelings are very disappointed – disgusted really,” Mr Watts, vice-president of the Cooroy-Pomona RSL sub-branch, said.
“It should be criminalised. There should be penalties in place, some kind of consequence, whether jail time or otherwise.
“It’s disrespectful to the sacrifices made by so many.”
Queensland’s 104-year-old World War II veteran Elsie Dalzell said the flag should not be destroyed.
“I don’t think they should be doing it,” she said.
Her daughter Lyn said her mother had three uncles who served in the First World War, including one who did not return, one who was awarded the Military Cross and a third who suffered from gas exposure.
“It should be illegal,” she said. “I would not expect to go to another country and burn their flag without there being serious consequences.”
Premier David Crisafulli last week said he supported a federal ban on burning the Australian flag after condemning the “disgraceful” Australia Day act in Brisbane.
He said it would be inappropriate for Queensland to outlaw the burning in new hate speech legislation to be brought before state parliament next month, as the act fell under federal jurisdiction.
An Institute of Public Affairs poll last year found 77 per cent of Australians believe flag-burning should be illegal, with 63 per cent thinking it should result in jail time.
