The Commonwealth bought the Aboriginal flag. Has it been 'freed' or colonised?

Both are recognised as national flags of Australia, but while stars and crosses was selected as the winner of a Commonwealth design competition, the design for the Aboriginal flag was born during a turning point for Aboriginal rights in Australia.

"The reason the flag exists is to fight for Aboriginal sovereignty and for Aboriginal self-determination, and the fact that the federal government own it is really the antithesis to the reason the flag exists, in my opinion," she said. They ask to be listened to and empowered to act in their own best interests, but so often, their words aren't heard, and bureaucrats hand down decisions that take away their agency and ultimately leave them worse off.

Well maybe they shouldn’t have sold it in the first place

Wait so tax payers will be paying for this without any consultation. Just government racking up more unnecessary debt in our country. Why would we need to buy the aboriginal flag. Just leave everything as normal and stop changing things.

CGWJS54139911 👍😥 the detail will be in the fine print?

What a stupid click bait title and article. Does prefer that the flag is locked by a private company or free for first nation people and all to use?

Using the same institutions to screw over the people those institutions first screwed over when they landed here. Pretty sad.

Another article to stir up trouble and cultural division, as if there isn't enough of it out there as it is. An article I'd expect to find on MurdochGutterMedia, not here. ThisIsNotJournalism

Jesus christ this comments section is a flaming dumpster fire

Why did the cost & who owned it reported on ABC news?

Here we go

White man owns it... you can use it at the pleasure of white man. These Aboriginals only had/have to do was/is design a new flag. Design a new flag

What a surprise. The left continues to eat itself.

This never ends does it !

What is the status of the Torres Strait Islands flag?

Flag saga take-aways: Don't wham Aboriginal culture. Buy where you help close the gap. It was made 'official national flag' while not in Govmt ownership, so it's clearly not essential to remain so. Who controls applications of flag and, of its royalties, under Govmt's deal?

Living proof that no matter what is done there will always be people who want to complain and play victim. For which they expect to be paid and rewarded…

Colonised by evil capitalist narks from an evil regime. Now I've done a bit of activism I might look for an investment property in Brunswick or Newtown, something trendy. Then support the regime by arguing for increasing migration. Grab a latte and enjoy a faux socialist life

Get stuffed.. stop the opinions please .

Whatever at least it’s been recognised as being worth something, damned if you do damned if you don’t

Oh God. It never ends. Stop complaining.

It has now been tainted like most things that pass through their hands; the positive spin is one thing - the deeper reality will become apparent; if it's not hanging up behind Scott Morrison on Monday morning in full equal view then he and his team can go to hell...

DIPSHITJOURNOS

Regardless. It's a better flag.

Australia’s first aboriginal cabient minister decides to acquire the legal rights to the flag, so no body can prevent aboriginal people from using the flag, and some complain. This is a significant step to Australia coming together as one country, and ultimately under one flag

Here to tell you what she thinks is a white Karen

I might design a flag and sell it to the govt for 2 million of tax payers money

Freed🦋

Put it in the bin

Happy Australia Day ABC

And here we go, being dicks again. This is a good thing, stop try to turn it into a point of contention.

Flags are European heraldry. It is disgusting that people have profited from the appropriation of my cultural history.

Hack clickbait journalism that lacks integrity.

Well the Cth bought it for the people with tax dollars or it could have remained with an individual 🤔

A new flag will be born, marking constitutional change and the Republic of Australia!

So will Scott Morrison be wearing the Aboriginal flag on his face?

THAT means WE can BURN it any time we like ?

Bad decisions made with good intentions are still bad decisions!

Can’t wait to see the big tacky retailers selling the flag in a t-shirt /shorts / thong ensemble. Oh, i almost forgot-and a floppy hat. 😳

If the Aboriginals want their own flag they should design one. Mostly none Aboriginals payed for the flag but it will end up in Aboriginal hands, eventually.

Aboriginal people never had a flag to start with

Just report the new , we don’t want options

The question is, who got the $20million? The original artist, or some copyright guy with good lawyers? It should all go to the Aboriginal community.

Tax payers want a refund.

Isn't the idea of an Aboriginal 'flag' cultural appropriation?

Yes the aboriginal flag has been colonised for 20 million Give it back

Christ...

Typical ABC

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Aboriginal flag made freely available for all Australians, after Commonwealth secures copyrightThe artist who designed the Aboriginal flag, a national symbol of Aboriginal Australia, agrees to transfer copyright to the Commonwealth for it to be used 'unaltered, proudly and without restriction'. Apple emoji flag pls Whole debacle should not have happened in the first place. Justice finally prevails!
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Aboriginal flag 'freed' for public use in $20m government copyright dealThe Aboriginal flag can now be freely used like the national flag after the Federal Government bought the copyright in a historic deal with the emblem's creator. 9News This is great news, now it’s time to unite the two flags as one, to represent all Australians towards unity. This is a great get, hopefully we can have flag bunting ect with both flags for next year's AustraliaDay 🇦🇺 Cmon Twitter we want an Aboriginal flag emoji!! Thanks SCOMO for making it happen
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Aboriginal flag 'freed' for public use in $20m government copyright dealMore than fifty years after it was first flown, the Aboriginal Flag is now in public hands. The Aboriginal flag can now be freely used like the national flag after the Federal Government bought the copyright for $20.05 million. 9News READ MORE: So that's a lot of tax revenue... 9NewsMelb Should never have been subject to copy right in the first place. It it represents the people it is owned by the people There are some that claim hyperlinks are a breach of copyright. We must fight to retain and protect pubic ownership. This is the only flag aboriginals need.
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I created the Aboriginal flag as a symbol of unity and prideThe flag was never intended to be a political platform. In the future, the flag will remain, not as a symbol of struggle, but as a symbol of pride and unity. | OPINION by Harold Thomas, creator of the Aboriginal flag. auspol This Bloke just stitched up the Tax payer yet again.$20,500,000 in the bank from the Tax payer again.Aboriginal People won’t appreciate the Government using Working Tax payer dollars to do this for them. A symbol of pride, unity ... ... and a nice little earner 🤣🤣🤣 Interesting thoughts however such symbols take on a power and life of their own and so the flag has certainty become for many a sign of resistance or protest as for others it would be unity. The Gods of great creations never really own them in the end.
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Free for all: Copyright for Aboriginal flag transferred to public hands in $20m dealThe Aboriginal flag will be free for all to use after the federal government acquired the copyright in a $20 million deal with artist Harold Thomas.
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