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Canning Colonialism: New Zealand to Vote On Scrapping Its Flag

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EC:
Via NBC: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/canning-colonialism-new-zealand-vote-scrapping-its-flag-n52781


--- Quote ---New Zealand's political leaders confirmed this week that they will give voters the opportunity to scrap their national flag and come up with a new design.

The current flag features the United Kingdom's Union Jack in the top left corner, and ditching it would be a symbolic moment the Pacific nation's historical relationship with the former British Empire.

Unlike the United States, which severed London's rule by winning the Revolutionary War, New Zealand is still part of an international community of former British colonies known as the Commonwealth.

Like Canada it still counts Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and she appears on coins and the New Zealand $20 note.

Image: New Zealand's flag Nick Perry / AP
Victor Gizzi, left, and David Moginie, managers at flag manufacturer Flagmakers, pose next to flags of New Zealand, left, and Australia, in their factory near Wellington, New Zealand on March 3, 2014.
Trying to change New Zealand's 'brand'

Prime Minister John Key announced on Tuesday that if his National Party wins again in September's general election, he would hold a referendum on the question within three years, something with which his opposition parties agreed.

He told an audience at the Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand's capital, that the design represented a bygone colonial era.

"I am proposing that we take one more step in the evolution of a modern New Zealand by acknowledging our independence through a flag," he said.

But some, including Labour leader David Cunliffe, criticized the timing of the announcement, describing it as a ploy to solidify support ahead of the election and distract from other issues such as the country's rising income inequality.

"John Key is like a matador waving a flag to get the bull to charge toward it rather than going for him," said Simon Leyton, a history professor at Britain's Cambridge University.
--- End quote ---

More at link.

olde north church:
What else are you going to put on a New Zealand flag?  A kiwi?  A Maori sea goddess?  The Aussies grabbed the Southern Cross, quite rightly.

EC:
A sheep?

PzLdr:

--- Quote from: EC on March 16, 2014, 11:54:02 am ---A sheep?

--- End quote ---

A Hobbit

Oceander:
kiwi center with a maori and white person standing either side

certainly the kiwis should be revising their flag; right now it looks like a second-rate version of the aussie flag and, as we all know, kiwis aren't aussies and if you confuse the two, the kiwis will make sure you don't make that mistake again (the aussies'll just laugh).


Current NZ flag:


Current OZ flag:



while it does pose some delicate political issues, perhaps the current maori flag should be incorporated into the new NZ flag:




the fly in the ointment, of course, is that this flag has also been used in maori protests against "anglo" government; however, it has been flown alongside, but subservient to, the NZ flag on Waitangi day, so it cannot be wholly offensive to non-maori kiwis.  Also, it appears that the national colors of NZ are red, black, and white - blue is no longer (if it ever was) - so it would be fitting to go with just those colours.

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