"Flying a flag is a reminder of the freedoms that those gone before us have died to protect and defend from all backgrounds and perspectives."
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Those are the words of Federal Member for New England Barnaby Joyce when asked about his electorate spending tens of thousands of dollars worth of taxpayer money on Australian, Indigenous and Torres Strait Island flags.
But the former deputy prime minister and his constituents are not alone.
In the 18 months from April 2022 to September 2023, Mr Joyce along with fellow MPs Michael McCormack (Riverina), Andrew Gee (Calare) and Mark Coulton (Parkes) expensed $188,000 between them for flags, according to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.
Of the four, residents living in the Riverina cost taxpayers the largest sum of money at $73,019.60 during that 18 month span.
Mr McCormack noted because Wagga Wagga was the only regional inland city with all three arms of the Defence Force, that their large large population of defence personnel and veterans would often seek out flags.
![Michael McCormack, Barnaby Joyce, Mark Coulton and Andrew Gee have all expensed thousands of dollars worth of flags. File pictures Michael McCormack, Barnaby Joyce, Mark Coulton and Andrew Gee have all expensed thousands of dollars worth of flags. File pictures](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/e4bfa460-1ad8-47d4-a4fa-3836722fbe99.png/r0_0_1920_1079_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
'Pride' a factor
"Many of the requests in my office for Australian flags are from local RSL sub-branches to be draped over the caskets of deceased Veterans," the Riverina MP said.
"A large number of flag requests come from several of about 130 schools in the electorate, as well as other not-for-profit organisations."
Politicians are allowed to use their office expenses budget to purchase flags but it is expected there will be an "element of formality" and that they are presented directly by the MP to the recipient.
![Parkes MP Mark Coulton at a press conference with Member for New England Barnaby Joyce in 2014. Picture by Alex Ellinghausen Parkes MP Mark Coulton at a press conference with Member for New England Barnaby Joyce in 2014. Picture by Alex Ellinghausen](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/7bbc1af9-1cdc-42a8-9699-6e0826f964ea.jpg/r0_202_3718_2711_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr Joyce - who expensed $43,795.30 - said the "proud" people of New England requesting flags included not for profit organisations, schools and nursing homes.
"They believe our democratic freedoms, country and utilitarian lifestyle is something to be proud of," he added.
The Parkes electorate is the biggest in NSW, making up nearly half of the state and features 18 councils.
"We also have a high Indigenous population, and my office regularly provides flags to Indigenous corporations for use during events such as NAIDOC Day or Reconciliation Week," Mr Coulton said.
According to Census data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2021, 13.2 per cent of Parkes' population was made up by Indigenous people, nearly four times the overall number for NSW.
"When you've got a large, decentralised, patriotic, Indigenous-proud electorate like mine - which is probably the best in Australia - you go through a lot of flags," the MP added.
Mr Gee - who expensed a little more than $18,000 in flags - said Calare was also full of "proud Australians" and that he was "very proud" to fly a flag outside his Orange office.
Cost-of-living hits flags?
But is flag pride the only reason for these eye-watering amounts?
According to Mr Coulton, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis now prevented any and all residents from obtaining a free flag.
He said in recent years, the cost of flags had increased "significantly" - by as much as 45 per cent.
"Office expense budgets are indexed annually in line with the Consumer Price Index, but with the rise in costs, I've had to limit the flags I provide for personal use," Mr Coulton added.
![Andrew Gee (front) with Bathurst Lions Club members Ian Warren, Gavan Ellis, Bruce Mulligan, Peter Varmen and Marilyn Warren in 2017. Photo: CHRIS SEABROOK Andrew Gee (front) with Bathurst Lions Club members Ian Warren, Gavan Ellis, Bruce Mulligan, Peter Varmen and Marilyn Warren in 2017. Photo: CHRIS SEABROOK](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/4fb44043-de2b-41ed-bbce-b48fdf4070fb.jpg/r0_300_3216_2108_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr Joyce said because the cost of flags comes from within an office operations budget, it means they had to "manage expenses elsewhere" and that "unfortunately there is not provision for every citizen to access a flag free of charge."
When asked if there needed to be rules changes in regard to flags being freely available, Mr McCormack said any changes to the Nationhood Material Program was a matter for the government to consider.
Mr Gee did not respond directly to that question.