New Zealand's Prime Minister favors changing the flag

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Good; hopefully Australia follows suit in picking a flag which reflects their nation, not their past under London.

[Joe Republic]

Yeah, not bad.

I quite like the three proposals since 2002 too:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_flag_debate#Proposals

[Mordecai]

Good; hopefully Australia follows suit in picking a flag which reflects their nation, not their past under London.

Not going to happen any time soon, our Prime Minister is a big supporter of the British royal family, is proud of Australia's British heritage and history, and is a staunch defender of constitutional monarchy.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Yeah, not bad.

I quite like the three proposals since 2002 too:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_flag_debate#Proposals

James Dignan's proposal I think has a bit too much going on, and Helen Clark's is unbalanced in a way that it would take me a while to get used to, but I like Kyle Lockwood's a lot.

[ilikeverin]

Yeah, not bad.

I quite like the three proposals since 2002 too:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_flag_debate#Proposals

James Dignan's proposal I think has a bit too much going on, and Helen Clark's is unbalanced in a way that it would take me a while to get used to, but I like Kyle Lockwood's a lot.

Kyle Lockwood's is gorgeous.  I'm a fan.

[RogueBeaver]

Welcome to the club, NZ!

[Zioneer]

That's a pretty nice new flag idea; I kind of wish the US could change our flag one of these days. It's plastered over so many things that I'm getting sick of it.

[Hatman 🍁]

I wish Ontario would open up a flag debate as well.

[Vosem]

I would actually disagree; the current New Zealand pretty accurately reflects the origins of the modern state of New Zealand and none of its symbols are in any way offensive -- why change it?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

A big problem for them is how similar it is to ours.

[Hifly]

What an awful design. Black, seriously? 
As Vosem said, the current flag is a perfectly accurate representation of New Zealand's western heritage, culture and founding.

[Zioneer]

What an awful design. Black, seriously? 
As Vosem said, the current flag is a perfectly accurate representation of New Zealand's western heritage, culture and founding.

Hey, if they want to get away from Australia's flag, then why not?

[Joe Republic]

What an awful design. Black, seriously? 
As Vosem said, the current flag is a perfectly accurate representation of New Zealand's western heritage, culture and founding.

Yeah, and Canada should totally get rid of that stupid leaf and go back to this:

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

What an awful design. Black, seriously?  

For what reason is black an inherently bad color for the field of a flag?

What an awful design. Black, seriously? 
As Vosem said, the current flag is a perfectly accurate representation of New Zealand's western heritage, culture and founding.

Yeah, and Canada should totally get rid of that stupid leaf and go back to this:

In fairness, the Red Ensign aside, I rather like Pearson's originally intended design, possibly more than the actual current Canadian flag.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

NZ is very proud of the black and white... so it makes sense, but I like the red/blue fern flag design

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

The current flag can be argued to display NZ's British background, but it doesn't really represent the country now (and especially not the Maori people, who IIRC are the strongest advocates of flag change). And yeah, it looks too much like Australia's.

[Cassius]

How awful. The current flag is absolutely lovely. However, perhaps a certain compromise could be reached by keeping the Union Jack in the top left hand corner and displaying the fern on the right of the flag where the stars currently are (or in the middle of the stars?). I mean, I think the fern on its own is a bit bland (and looks far too much like a simple sporting emblem, since I immediately think 'all-blacks' when I see that flag).

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

How awful. The current flag is absolutely lovely. However, perhaps a certain compromise could be reached by keeping the Union Jack in the top left hand corner and displaying the fern on the right of the flag where the stars currently are (or in the middle of the stars?). I mean, I think the fern on its own is a bit bland (and looks far too much like a simple sporting emblem, since I immediately think 'all-blacks' when I see that flag).

Don't be such a pearl-clutcher

I think if you asked MOST NZ'ders which symbol they relate to, the Union Jack or the Fern? Guess what the answer would be.

I wonder if the poll is showing in NZ what it is here, that support for retaining the Monarchy/changing the flag (as Canada shows, the two are not directly related) is highest among the old (65+) and the young (18-35). In fact support across the nation is at the lowest recorded level in more than 20 years... as someone who doesn't describe themselves as a republican (albeit verrrry apathetic on the issue, as it doesn't actually do/change anything) that doesn't bother me.

[Hatman 🍁]

What an awful design. Black, seriously?  

For what reason is black an inherently bad color for the field of a flag?

What an awful design. Black, seriously? 
As Vosem said, the current flag is a perfectly accurate representation of New Zealand's western heritage, culture and founding.

Yeah, and Canada should totally get rid of that stupid leaf and go back to this:

In fairness, the Red Ensign aside, I rather like Pearson's originally intended design, possibly more than the actual current Canadian flag.

Eww, no. One of the reasons why "Pearson's pennant" lost out is because of how ugly it is. It was used as a decoy to get the Tories to "compromise" on the current flag.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Yeah, not bad.

Reminds me of a certain collar badge:

[TTS1996]

All the former Dominions have a real lasting link with "the Mother Country"; there's no need or call for getting rid of this beyond the usual childish "anti-imperialist" elements. Even Key doesn't really want this. 110 years of history don't need to go on the pyre just because ADD leftie kids have distracted themselves from last month's fad of wanting to name everything after Nelson Mandela to this "anti-colonialist" crap.

As for the poster who asked "I think if you asked MOST NZ'ders which symbol they relate to, the Union Jack or the Fern?" - if you actually take a look at the NZ flag, it isn't simply a Union Jack.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

As an Australian, I'm very familiar with the NZ flag. And the point I made about Union Jack vs the Fern was in response to that specific issue of the Union Jack's position not discussing the Southern Cross. The flag issue in Australia and New Zealand has nothing to do with Mandela-worship lefties...

If you're going to try up jump on a high-horse, probably best to get your context sorted... K?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Go with Kyle Lockwood's design.

[Хahar 🤔]

I mean, I think the fern on its own is a bit bland (and looks far too much like a simple sporting emblem, since I immediately think 'all-blacks' when I see that flag).

This is a relevant point.

[Zioneer]

All the former Dominions have a real lasting link with "the Mother Country"; there's no need or call for getting rid of this beyond the usual childish "anti-imperialist" elements. Even Key doesn't really want this. 110 years of history don't need to go on the pyre just because ADD leftie kids have distracted themselves from last month's fad of wanting to name everything after Nelson Mandela to this "anti-colonialist" crap.

As for the poster who asked "I think if you asked MOST NZ'ders which symbol they relate to, the Union Jack or the Fern?" - if you actually take a look at the NZ flag, it isn't simply a Union Jack.

But what if they don't want to be confused with Australia's flag anymore?