Sack Carnarvon council over flag: WA MP

National party MP Vince Catania says the entire Carnarvon council should be sacked over the Aboriginal flag furore.

The entire Carnarvon council should be sacked after refusing to fly the Aboriginal flag during NAIDOC Week, the local MP says.

The council was equally divided in voting on the matter at a meeting this week, until president Karl Brandenburg cast the deciding no.

The decision sparked peaceful protests in the town but also threats to Mr Brandenburg, he says, leaving his wife and children fearing for their safety.

The furore has attracted not just the attention of the national media but criticism from Labor, Liberal and National MPs.

Premier Colin Barnett, opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt and local MP Vince Catania have offered to give the town an Aboriginal flag, but Mr Brandenburg insists the Australian will fly alone outside the council chambers.

He told AAP on Friday a far more pressing matter in Carnarvon was indigenous youth committing crime, which he believes is a result of their parents abusing methamphetamine and being too "out of it" to care for them properly.

Mr Brandenburg said politicians should focus on the town's real needs, not fuss over the symbolic importance of a flag.

"The unfortunate youth have been left to roam the streets and commit crimes and try to break in to get food," he said.

"There's a huge problem in Carnarvon and it's fantastic that they (politicians) want to support flying the flag but I'd rather they support children who are starving in the streets.

"The kids are just left to their own devices. They're like orphans - that's how sad it is. So if I can seize on this opportunity to bring attention to that, I'll leave the flag exactly where it is."

Mr Brandenburg said he remained of the view that flying the Aboriginal flag outside council chambers would be "divisive" but he was happy for it to be displayed anywhere else in town.

"Everybody is very keen to make out that I'm a racist and I'm doing the wrong thing, but I still stand by my statements that it is divisive and we're all Australian, and we should fly under one flag."

Mr Catania, however, says Mr Brandenburg and the rest of the council should be sacked.

"There's a systemic cultural problem at that shire," he told AAP.

Mr Catania said he was considering introducing a private member's bill to parliament to force councils in the state to fly the Aboriginal flag alongside the Australian and WA flags.


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Source: AAP



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