A major Australian trade union has called for the country's national flag to be redesigned, arguing that the Union Jack in its current design represents an "oppressive" and "colonialist" legacy that no longer reflects modern Australia. The proposal was raised at a Labor conference and marks a fresh push in the long-running debate over Australian national identity and its constitutional ties to Britain, reigniting a discussion that has periodically resurfaced since the 1990s republic movement.

The union's motion urges the removal of the Union Jack from the top-left corner of the flag, framing it as a symbol of Britain's colonial rule rather than contemporary, multicultural Australia. The call has been described as a "shock proposal" and is likely to prove divisive, given that past attempts to alter the flag or move towards a republic have consistently failed to gain broad public or political support.