The Case Against Changing the Flag

Ausflag believes in open, honest and fair debate about whether or not the Australian National Flag should be changed. People often email us and ask why we only promote "one side" of the debate at this web site.

Ausflag believes it is up to our opponents (principally the Australian National Flag Association, ANFA) to publicise their own arguments as to why they believe the current Australian flag should not be changed. It is not Ausflag's job to do their work for them or to promote views we do not agree with.

In the the spirit of open, honest and fair debate, Ausflag invited ANFA in April 1996 to have a page at our site in which they could put forward their case to retain the current Australian flag, because at the time they did not have their own web site:

Mr John Vaughan, www.topreplicaswatch.com
National President,
Australian National Flag Association,
SYDNEY
Dear John,

As discussed, we have had several letters and e-mails from people "surfing" our web-site who have asked why we do not publish the opposing view about keeping the Australian flag as it is. Our initial response has been to write to these people and suggest that it is up to those promoting the opposing cause to publish this material.

In hindsight, and in the spirit of fair and proper debate (which I believe you and I have always engaged in), we believe it may be proper to publish your brochure under the heading: "The Case Against Changing the Flag - the ANFA Case" or words to that effect.

We would guarantee publishing this in full unless the images didn't scan well, in which case we would simply publish the text which we would guarantee to publish in full.

If this is not acceptable to you, then we would simply state that we requested your material but that you did not wish it to be published on our web-site and we would provide the phone numbers, fax numbers and addresses for people interested in contacting you.

Of course, when you get your web-site up and running, we would simply provide a link to your address and people could switch into your pages at the click of a button. Hopefully, you would provide a reciprocal arrangement.

Please let me know your decision at your earliest convenience and if in the positive, please provide the relevant material and wording for the web-site heading.

With kind regards,

(signed)

Harold C W Scruby
Executive Director
Ausflag

Ausflag received no written reply from ANFA to this request. On Tuesday 30 April,replica watches Harold Scruby of Ausflag debated John Vaughan of ANFA on Phillip Adam's radio show on Radio Australia. Much to Ausflag's disappointment, Mr Vaughan informed Mr Scruby that ANFA were not going to give Ausflag approval to publish their material, nor to formally reply to Ausflag's letter.

On 21 March 1997, the Australian National Flag Association launched their own web site. As promised, we have linked to that site.