Is New Zealand choosing a new....

[Lucky13]

...flag?
Saw it on the news here, it's to be done by March next year....

 

[stona]

She is, and the choices aren't great! Some of the rejected entries into the competition for the new flag along with their brief explanations were hilarious, intentionally so I hope
Cheers
Steve

 

[Lucky13]

Well, with the deepest, outmost respect and all that to New Zealand, great people etc., etc., they showed one flag and I honestly thought....wtf!? I know, I do apologize!

Please don't send the All Blacks!

 

[Lucky13]

The NZ flag — your chance to decide

 

[T Bolt]

So what's wrong with the old one? I think it looks much better than any of the new choices.

 

[herman1rg]

I expect some people don't like the idea of having The Union Flag in the corner

 

[tomo pauk]

Wonder whether there will be the choice to retain the old flag? Or it is already decided that one must go (and I agree with T bolt, the oldie looked just fine)?

 

[at6]

What horrendous options!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lucky13]

Agree, like the old one as well....look at the Danes, they've had theirs for, what is it, 600 years or something?

 

[Lucky13]

In no particular order;

Versions of the flag in current use....

Denmark, 1370
Sweden, 1562
Austria, 1230
Switzerland, 1470
Netherlands, 1572
United Kingdom, 1606
Morocco, 1244
Malta, 1099

 

[parsifal]

There isnt a good reason and about 82% of Kiwis dont want any change'

https://www.quora.com/Why-is-New-Zealand-considering-a-new-flag

 

[Lucky13]

Good link mate, cheers!

 

[gumbyk]

Jeez, this was my one 'safe place'

There are to be 2 referendums - the first is for the optional flag, and the second will be t choose between the current flag and the new.

There are a number of reasons for this, but it is theoretically possible for a flag to get chosen with less than 20% support if you ask if people want change first.
I'd take that 82% figure with a grain of salt - I'd think it was closer to 60%. I've seen polls of everything from 55% to 90% not wanting change, and I think that a number of people are changing their minds.
Strangely, this was something that the Govt said they would do during the last election campaign, and now people are complaining that they have done what they said they would do!

 

[GrauGeist]

There has been a huge social movement recently to "revert" to native symbolism.

Case in point: the name of mount McKinley in Alaska has been under fire for a while now and it was eventually changed a few years ago (semi-officially) back to the native name: Denali. (The current U.S. president is taking credit for the name change, however)

There is also movements to rename several areas in North America back to native names (although a great deal of current places have retained original place names or names of native leaders) as well as demanding recognition of the "mass genocide" (with constantly escelating numbers - last count was a ridiculous figure of 100 million)

So it's no surprise that New Zealand is suffering this same movement.

 

[gumbyk]

There has been a huge social movement recently to "revert" to native symbolism.

Case in point: the name of mount McKinley in Alaska has been under fire for a while now and it was eventually changed a few years ago (semi-officially) back to the native name: Denali. (The current U.S. president is taking credit for the name change, however)

There is also movements to rename several areas in North America back to native names (although a great deal of current places have retained original place names or names of native leaders) as well as demanding recognition of the "mass genocide" (with constantly escelating numbers - last count was a ridiculous figure of 100 million)

So it's no surprise that New Zealand is suffering this same movement.

I don't think its that - in fact there is a move to get a fifth flag on the referendum that doesn't have your 'native symbolism'. Even then, all of the iconography in the other is in current popular use in New Zealand.

 

[Lucky13]

Is there no flag with a kiwi bird on it?

 

[GrauGeist]

I may have missed some of the other flags, but the majority of the NZ flag suggestions I've seen involve the native Silver Fern or the Koru.

To be honest, I think the original flag of New Zealand (1835) looks attractive, if everyone wants change, why not consider that?

 

[Lucky13]

This one?

 

[ww2restorer]

The only person who wants to change the flag is our egotistic banker prime Minister. He only wants the change to pump up his chest to say to NZ "look who I am". Every week his Govt borrows $300,000,000 which he then manipulates to show a false economy. You folks in the USA will know it as Reganomics. When NZ'ers wake up from there fairy-tale dream, he will be gone, pack up his under the table millions, and leave to his holiday house in Hawaii, with NZ holding a debt that will take decades to recover from. The Flag issue is a ridiculous joke. Also he wants to get Panda's for the countries capital zoo, costing around $10,000,000 a year Loan fees to China. If any of you guys want a lunatic PM, we have one for you, free.
My apologies for the political rant, but we don't want a flag change

 

[stona]

The current flag does however look a lot like the current Australian flag, give or take a star and a minor colour difference. Maybe the Kiwis want something a little different.
I'm old school and quite like the current version with a union flag in the corner, but that is becoming somewhat symbolically redundant these days and if the good people of New Zealand fancy a change then I'd say go for it. I hope, given the current contenders, that they won't regret it.

We've had our share of lunatic PMs thank you very much, you can keep yours

Cheers

Steve