The Labor MP said there was merit behind the program, with many schools and community groups acquiring flags and the constitution for various reasons, including educational purposes. He said MPs were not legally obligated to provide the material, the legislation just created the ability for them to source the nationhood material. Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie wrote she had received 25 inquiries in 12 hours. Mr Watts is not the only MP to be inundated. 'Some portraits of Bob Murphy and Julia Gillard, some Australian Republican Movement membership forms and an invite to our Wattle Day barbeque at Williamstown beach.' 'I've chosen to respond to these tongue in cheek requests with a bit of nationhood material of my own from Melbourne's west,' he said. In response, Mr Watts said he was perfectly entitled to use his freedom of speech to send extra materials back. 'I think 99 per cent were tongue firmly in cheek.' 'The last 24 hours, I would say about four dozen. 'I can say before the story was published, I had received zero requests for portraits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth,' he said.
