Full text here. Extract follows:

"Briefly, on the flag, I have three things to say. The citizen cringe here today has to be answered. Don't we have any national self-respect? What about the flag of Hawaii? The flag of Hawaii has the Union Jack in its corner and that does not seem to worry President Clinton or the 300 million United States citizens. Certainly it does not worry the citizens of Hawaii. They are proud to fly it because it is part of their constitutional monarchy history. On the question of identity - this is one of the most spurious arguments of all; it was raised here this morning and it is raised ad nauseam - let me say this: what does it matter if our flag and New Zealand's flag are not identified? That is because people are ignorant. Our flag is blue and theirs is red . If people are colour blind or ignorant, that is their problem. Besides, remember this: in the constitution debates in 1901, there was provision for New Zealand to be incorporated and become part of our constitution and part of our nation if they so chose.

Also, Professor Blainey has referred to the Netherlands and another country [France] having a very similar flag. He could add to that the flag of the Russian Federation . Let me remind you of this: when the terrible criminal totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was finally dismantled on 31 December 1991, what was the flag that was raised? It was the imperial flag of Peter the Great, which is a copy of the flag of the Netherlands which they have had for 200 years. They reverted to that and they also reverted to the imperial coat of arms.

If you look at the flags of the countries at the top of South America - Colombia , Venezuela and Ecuador - they are virtually identical. They have a small different symbol in the middle of the flag. I ask anyone here to go out and ask any members of the public to identify the flags of Finland or Italy - which have been mentioned here today - or France , for that matter. I defy anyone in the public generally to quote accurately more than five flags from around the world. It is only important for one class of people to identify the Australian flag- and that is fair dinkum Aussies.

In conclusion, the flag does three things: it reflects our history, our early development from colonisation on; it reflects our quiet and orderly conversion, without revolution, to the constitution that we now enjoy; and it reflects where we are, as was said earlier. I am a member of the Australian Flag Association. We have had the same flag since 1901 - since the first Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton, raised it here in the national capital. Hopefully we will have it forever. If the people wish to change it they may, but let it be done by constitutional change. Let the changing of the symbol of the nation be done in a way that is agreed by the majority of the people. Certainly do not slip it through by some plebiscite. The Labor Party in New South Wales already has a policy to change the Australian flag. I commend the flag. The last thing about it which is important is that it makes an institutional statement that we are a federation with its six points for the six Australian states and one point for the territories. The Canadian flag , with due respect to it, does virtually none of that."