Top Tweets for #Peacefirst

It is absurd that Australia flies three flags on government buildings and official platforms. No serious country does this - it makes us look divided, weak, and unsure of who we are. Americans revere the Stars and Stripes. Their Flag Code sets out clear rules of respect, they display one national flag as the symbol of a united people. They do not dilute it with ideological flags on every official building, letterhead, or email signature. We should do the same. The only flags that belong on any government building, correspondence, website, or email are the Australian National Flag and, where relevant, the state or territory flag. Nothing else. Queensland has already moved to remove Acknowledgements of Country and secondary flags from public service email signatures. That should be the national standard - and it should also ban pronouns in email signatures, they are ridiculous and unserious. Iconic public infrastructure paid for by taxpayers, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, should fly only the Australian flag and the New South Wales flag. NSW taxpayers fund its upkeep. They should see their own flags, not a display of competing symbols. We must also stop tolerating the destruction of our monuments, cenotaphs, and statues. Iconoclasm is not protest. It is a sign of a society that is fracturing and losing confidence in itself. If we want to hold this country together, we start by uniting under one flag. That requires legislation, not more symbolism or ritual. One people. One flag. One nation. #AustraliaFirst

The war will cost 155 billion euros next year. And we need at least 70 billion euros more from you – for defense, for weapons, and for our resilience. This is a realistic amount. And I ask you to find this support. It will help us hold Russia back. There are some very simple facts. We stop most Russian assaults on the front line thanks to drones. We cut Russian supply lines with these technologies. And our drones are helping to weaken Russia’s economy. Right now, we could produce two or three times more drones – depending on the type. But we simply don’t have enough money for that. It’s true. Just imagine if we could put two or three times more pressure on Russia than we do today. From an address to the participants of the European Council meeting. (4/5)