Should New Zealand Change its flag?

[smartcooky]

Votings pretty much over people.

Picking old flag to unfortunately win, but by closer than expected

Old flag to win by a country mile

The massive turnout will be all those who didn't bother picking a flag in the first vote because they knew they were going to vote for no change all along.

 

[cullennz]

60 40

 

[arthwollipot]

Interesting result in the poll in this thread. Kiwis say no - 9 to 3 - while non-Kiwis say yes - 43 to 21.

 

[cullennz]

Interesting result in the poll in this thread. Kiwis say no - 9 to 3 - while non-Kiwis say yes - 43 to 21.

Was at the pub the other day and it 5 to 4 for new.

 

[cullennz]

It kind of depends how many idiots think the old one is some how a vote against Key

 

[Damien Evans]

Interesting result in the poll in this thread. Kiwis say no - 9 to 3 - while non-Kiwis say yes - 43 to 21.

Not entirely accurate. Nearly half have voted for sandcastles.

 

[gumboot]

Interesting result in the poll in this thread. Kiwis say no - 9 to 3 - while non-Kiwis say yes - 43 to 21.

That's not particularly surprising. Flags are symbols, and their "value" is directly relative to the value of the thing they represent. New Zealanders will generally value the thing the NZ flag represents (i.e. New Zealand) more than foreigners will. Which is also why the overwhelmingly most popular reason given for wanting a change of flag is to remove the Union Jack; another flag and another symbol representing another country (the UK) that many New Zealanders don't particularly value (and many actively dislike).

In fact I suspect you would find a pretty close correlation between how strongly New Zealanders wanted a change of flag, and what they associated the Union Jack with.

 

[The Atheist]

2.5 hours we'll have the results. Massive vote, at 2.1M yesterday, as opposed to 2.4M in the general election. Votes posted today will still count, so the total will be interesting.

I'm sticking with 60-65% for status quo.

 

[The Atheist]

I was high, with 56/44 vote.

As The Guardian puts it:

After a lengthy campaign, voters have decided by 56.6% to 43.2% to retain the flag with its strong links to the United Kingdom

That's their leader - strong links to the UK.

Genius. Let's change the national anthem back to sky-daddy save the old hag.

 

[Lothian]

Your love and deference to your old masters is noted. We won't forget this gesture. In return we will let you regularly beat us at Rugby over the next decade.

 

[arthwollipot]

Your love and deference to your old masters is noted. We won't forget this gesture. In return we will let you regularly beat us at Rugby over the next decade.

That's hardly a concession, is it?

 

[The Atheist]

Your love and deference to your old masters is noted. We won't forget this gesture. In return we will let you regularly beat us at Rugby over the next decade.

I'd like to line up every moron who voted to keep the old flag and have them kiss the Queen's backside, which is what they've all done metaphorically.

(You'll be letting us beat you at rugby for the next century, not decade, just like you have for the last century - ABs winning 80% of the games.)

 

[megaresp]

New Zealanders will generally value the thing the NZ flag represents (i.e. New Zealand) more than foreigners will. Which is also why the overwhelmingly most popular reason given for wanting a change of flag is to remove the Union Jack...

Meh. I think most Kiwis would be happy if the existing flag had "We're not Australia" added to it.

***************​

I'm not surprised to see the old flag retained. If the flag wavers had been sensible people, the alternative offered up would have been a silver fern on an all black flag - like The Atheist wanted. Then the vote would have been much closer.

Now, when are we going to have a referendum on changing the name of the country to Rugbytopia?

 

[angrysoba]

I was high, with 56/44 vote.

As The Guardian puts it:



That's their leader - strong links to the UK.

Genius. Let's change the national anthem back to sky-daddy save the old hag.

If Hawaii were to have a referendum and the current flag beat a flag, say, with Magnum PI's face on it, would the Guardian similarly talk up its strong links to the UK?

 

[smartcooky]

The vote wasn't to retain the existing flag so much as a vote against the alternative.

Its a shame that 56% of kiwis lack vision. It makes you wonder how we can make movies like LOTR and The Hobbit.

Mind you, there was a groundswell of naysayers against the making of those movies here, mainly by Trade Union supporting Liberal whackos. Maybe we can make movies like that in spite of our lack of imagination, but it seems we don't have the collective courage to kick The Old Country into touch. We are, after all, less that 200 years old; maybe its too early to cut the apron strings.

 

[Samson]

I can't understand why the flag change would precede detachment from England.
I imagine there was also irritation at the cost of rebranding.
I voted against change though, because 10,000 ideas became four without anyone asking my opinion of the 9996.

 

[Lothian]

(You'll be letting us beat you at rugby for the next century, not decade, just like you have for the last century - ABs winning 80% of the games.)

I wish.

 

[Lothian]

I can't understand why the flag change would precede detachment from England. I imagine there was also irritation at the cost of rebranding.
I voted against change though, because 10,000 ideas became four without anyone asking my opinion of the 9996.

What?

 

[Samson]

I wish.

So do I.
I have had a gutsful of rugby worship. Now they want to build a mostly empty most of the time steaming crap pile stadium on the best part of Auckland waterfront.

 

[Samson]

What?

Grated Britain then.