The latest reports indicate that the ACT Government has defaced and stolen part of an Australian Government asset namely the John Flynn Memorial from Flynn.

If this is true as suggested, Andrew Barr and his Department have been in possession of a stolen Memorial plaque and they and the Department that authorised the vandalism of the memorial could face criminal proceedings.

Vandalism of National Memorial is a serious matter, particularly the concreting over of the engraved Flynn name and removal of the plaque and any damage that occurred during that removal.

The ACT Government must now admit its mistake, apologise to the NCA and the people of Flynn and restore the entire memorial to the satisfaction of the NCA. It is not acceptable for the ACT Government to hold onto the plaque and try to negotiate a new location for it when the plaque belongs to an approved memorial at an approved site.