This was largely due to the Commonwealth Government and flag suppliers restricting sales of the blue ensign to the general public.

[8] On 4 December 1950, Menzies affirmed the Blue ensign as the National flag, and in 1951 King George VI approved the government's recommendation.

Sections 5 & 6 confer statutory powers on the Governor-General to appoint 'flags and ensigns of Australia', and authorise warrants and make rules as to use of flags.

It was promoted by its supporters as "ensuring a degree of protection for"[17] and "the first substantive parliamentary steps towards defining a process for the change of"[18] the Australian National Flag.

Referring to the fact that a future parliament may rescind or even ignore the amendment "in theory, it is not quite what it is cracked up to be in so far as, theoretically, a new government can alter it at any stage".