Conservative Liberal MP Craig Kelly is backing the call to change the wording of the Australian National Anthem.

Mr Kelly has spoken out today supporting the push to change the national anthem line of “young and free” to “strong and free”.

It follows a silent protest by Indigenous rugby league players during last night’s State of Origin match.

NSW’s Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr and Queensland’s Will Chambers and Dane Gagai refused to sing Advance Australia Fair.

The protesting players argue the line “young and free” doesn’t recognise the history of Aboriginal people.

“My natural instinct is not to want to change the anthem,” Mr Kelly tells Ben Fordham.

“But I think the anthem is in a far different category to something like the flag or our constitutional monarchy.”

Mr Kelly believes it wouldn’t be a massive change because the words to our National anthem have been changed several times over the years.

“What I don’t want to see, Ben, is what we’re currently seeing in the states.

“Where every time the American national anthem is played it’s used as a tool of division.”

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