Dairy Industry Deregulation Blamed
Milky Way Replaces Southern Cross on Australian Flag

The Executive Director of Ausflag, Mr Harold Scruby said today: "We are stunned and appalled by the Government′s decision to replace the Southern Cross with the Milky Way on the Australian flag.

"Who do they think they are? We cannot believe it," Mr Scruby said, after reading an article written by the head of Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy, Ms Kerry Jones in the Sunday Age of 20 August:

"The Australian flag is, I believe, the best in the world. The seven-pointer (sic) star symbolises our federation of six states and territories. Our geographic position in the world is shown by the stars of the Milky Way."

"What happened to consultation and due process? What about Mr Howard′s legislation which guarantees that there must be a plebiscite before there can be any change to the Australian flag? And why isn′t Ms Jones, who is the Australian-in-charge of opposing all change, including the date, protesting vociferously? Just think, we′ll even have to change the words of our National Anthem to:

′Beneath our radiant Milky Way′.

"There must be a mistake", Mr Scruby said. "Perhaps Ms Jones saw an Australian flag unfurled for the first time and discovered it wasn′t just a Union Jack. Or perhaps she has confused Australia with Brazil.

"If Ms Jones is mistaken, or more probably confused, and this is a false alarm, we demand a retraction and suggest that in future, Ms Jones confines her comments to all things Royal. She should stick to her knitting." Mr Scruby said.