Adam Bandt has stated that racism in Australia has “work to do,” and as a result, he will not stand in front of the Australian flag.
A member of Mr. Bandt’s party moved the Australian flag to the side of the room before Mr. Bandt arrived at the news conference.
This left only the flags of the Aboriginal people and the Torres Strait Islanders in the room.
I asked Adam Bandt why he chose not to stand in front of the Australian flag. He says the country has work to do on racism, and that the symbol is hurtful to many Indigenous Australians. #auspol
— Isobel Roe (@isobelroe) June 20, 2022
When asked by an ABC reporter, why he moved the flag, Mr. Bandt answered:
“The country has work to do on racism, and that the symbol is hurtful to many Indigenous Australians.”
“He also says he usually has it removed before he speaks.”
A check of Mr. Bandt’s previous television appearances reveals that he never has the flag of the nation in the background, but he does always have the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander flag.
Mr. Bandt was in Sydney to give a speech about the energy problem that is affecting the nation.
He stated that the crisis was caused by coal and gas companies.
“Australia is in an energy crisis that has been caused by the big coal and gas operations that have taken an essential service, made billions of dollars in profit out of it and are now holding homes and businesses to ransom,” he added.
“Coal and gas co-operations are the cause of this energy crisis, they are not the answer.