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Federal MP Wants National Anthem Revised To Reflect 21st Century Australia

He wants it to include everything that is "unique about us."
Coalition MP Andrew Laming has called for changes to be made to the Australian national anthem.
Twitter/The Project TV
Coalition MP Andrew Laming has called for changes to be made to the Australian national anthem.

A Coalition MP believes "it is probably a good time" to revise the Australian national anthem to "represent Australia in the 21st century" and the values that "encapsulates everything we are."

Queensland Liberal Member Andrew Laming told The Project 'Advance Australia Fair' has become outdated among everyday Australians and that it should be changed to reflect how the country is today.

"Australia didn't even exist when the anthem was written and we adopted it about 40 years ago. As a value statement for the nation, I reckon every generation, we need to make sure it encapsulates everything we are," he said.

"Right now, Australia as a nation knows it's place in the world and it is probably a good time to revise it."

Laming also said he would like to see a revised anthem include aspects of Australia that he believes are "unique about us".

"What's unique about us? It is our sense of humour, our irreverence, our attitude to authority, our suspicion for people that hold to ideas too strongly," he said.

"These elements, I think, represent Australia in the 21st century. They've been around forever. We just don't yet have them in our anthem.

"The question is does it encapsulate anything about Australia? The fact we have an Indigenous heritage, the fact we have this multicultural overlay that is unique in having not one ethnic majority that dominates the scene. It doesn't in Australia. That's special about us."

'Advance Australia Fair' was written and composed by Peter Dodds McCormick and first performed in 1878. However, the song wasn't announced as the national anthem until 1984.

You can check out all of the lyrics below. We'll let you make your own mind up about its relevance to current-day Australia.

Verse One:

Australians all let us rejoice

For we are young and free

We've golden soil and wealth for toil,

Our home is girt by sea:

Our land abounds in nature's gifts

Of beauty rich and rare,

In history's page let every stage

Advance Australia fair,

In joyful strains then let us sing

Advance Australia fair.

Verse Two:

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,

We'll toil with hearts and hands,

To make this Commonwealth of ours

Renowned of all the lands,

For those who've come across the seas

We've boundless plains to share,

With courage let us all combine

To advance Australia fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia fair.

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