Should New Zealand Change its flag?

[The Atheist]

In Australia and New Zealand, the representative of the Queen, the Governor General goes out of their way to avoid any religious discussions.

You obviously haven't met our current G-G, Lieutenant-General* His Holiness Sir Jeremiah Mateparae.

While he doesn't get involved in religious debates, he is very open about his christianity and is a huge supporter of Ratana.


*Note for readers on the North American continent, that is Lieutenant pronounced Lef`tenant, not Loo`tenant.

 

[The Atheist]

The big list of John Key's lies

Haha! I have my own list I'll compare with it at some stage - one of us might have missed one! There are a hell of a lot of them.

I put this on my front lawn during the election campaign:



Cost me $300 for the sign; the wood I already had.

Here's the flag John Key really wants wants kiwis to be under,

He certainly does, but let's be more direct:

 

[angrysoba]

As others have mentioned above, in or around 1965, Canada ditched the previous old "Red Ensign" flag(s) that it had used for ~100 years (which had incorporated the Union Jack) in favour of adopting a unique and official Canadian flag of its own (the red maple leaf flag that everyone knows and loves), and that was a great decision all around, in my view.

Not everyone!

I know of at least one guy who prefers the official national flag of Canada up until then, which he says was the Union Flag (not the Red Ensign). And he also goes for God Save the Queen over Oh Canada!

 

[Ladewig]

Not everyone!

I know of at least one guy who prefers the official national flag of Canada up until then, which he says was the Union Flag (not the Red Ensign). And he also goes for God Save the Queen over Oh Canada!

I thought that at the time of the changeover, quite a few people hated it; is that correct?

 

[Madalch]

I thought that at the time of the changeover, quite a few people hated it; is that correct?

Yes. There's still a few old-timers who insist that the Red Ensign is "better" because it's more cluttered or because it's "more traditional".

 

[Damien Evans]

You are right and I was wrong.
The Succession Act of 2013 eliminates the male primogenitor and the Catholic clauses from the colonies' rules about who succeeds whom.

Do you perhaps mean the Commonwealth Realms? Or are you living in the 1800's?

 

[anglolawyer]

I pressed the planet X button because there wasn't a 'don't care' option.

 

[Puppycow]

I think there's a lot of countries that should change their flags.

Not a big fan of tricolors or bicolors, because they are so common and boring. And also easy to confuse.

And yes, I'm afraid it's hard for anyone who isn't an Aussie or a Kiwi to remember which flag is which.

 

[fleabeetle]

Anyone that mistakes our flag the Australian one simply isn't actually looking, the Australia one is quite distinctive to ours. For those that are ignorant and don't know the difference, the Australian one has 6 stars, five in the Southern Cross and a large one under the Jack. They stars are also straight white and 8 pointed compared to the New Zealand 5 pointed red with white border stars.

And yes, I'm afraid it's hard for anyone who isn't an Aussie or a Kiwi to remember which flag is which.

I'm neither -- but will venture to say that I have no trouble on that score. PhantomWolf, above, lists the differences. I'm not very numerate, so number of stars / points would be unlikely to register with me: I find the giveaway, in the NZ stars being red-in-the-middle; but the Aus. ones plain white. Rhyming reminder: "NZ -- red".

 

[Samson]

I pressed the planet X button because there wasn't a 'don't care' option.

I voted no because we got no dough. (dairy prices have halved and we borrowed 35.61 dollars a week for each soul for the last six years from wherever, yep that is the mathematical truth)

 

[ZirconBlue]

I voted no because we got no dough. (dairy prices have halved and we borrowed 35.61 dollars a week for each soul for the last six years from wherever, yep that is the mathematical truth)

But think of the boom in the flag-making industry!

 

[Myriad]

Rectangular flags are boring. NZ should have the world's first round flag, and its flag etiquette should require any properly displayed NZ flag to be continually rotating. Compliance would boom the flagpole industry as everyone scrambles to install the necessary equipment. It would also make the new flag design popular worldwide for printing on disk media, hubcaps, and wind turbines.

 

[The Atheist]

That's a great idea!

Can we take it a step further and say that fabric flags are so 12th century?

We could have a .gif flag. Always fully erect, displaying an array of NZ's best-known features: Rachel Hunter, Lucy Lawless, Gandalf and Combover John!

 

[Carnivore]

Has anyone considered the predicament of the the folorn masses who have patriotic tattoos of the current flag?

In a surprise move, New Zealand calls their banners for Myrcella Baratheon upon Joffrey's death! Prince Harry the Red Viper is behind it all.

Whereupon the South Island secedes and declares for the Starks. No, we don't care that they are all presumed dead.

 

[The Atheist]

Has anyone considered the predicament of the the folorn masses who have patriotic tattoos of the current flag?

You've reminded me of an excellent point:

Invest in flag manufacturers.

 

[Ladewig]

I think there's a lot of countries that should change their flags.

Not a big fan of tricolors or bicolors, because they are so common and boring. And also easy to confuse.
h.

Agreed.
There are many distinctive yet simple designs, Greece's for instance.

 

[Damien Evans]

Agreed.
There are many distinctive yet simple designs, Greece's for instance.

PNG's is pretty good too:

 

[TragicMonkey]

A good flag would depict a walrus eating another walrus that was eating a third walrus that was eating a fourth walrus that was eating a fifth walrus that was eating the first walrus, in a ring, against a background of cannibal walruses, with the words "WALRUS WALRUS WALRUS" emblazoned in a font made from walrus outlines. This would be the thirdmost walrussy flag of any nation today.

 

[Samson]

A good flag would depict a walrus eating another walrus that was eating a third walrus that was eating a fourth walrus that was eating a fifth walrus that was eating the first walrus, in a ring, against a background of cannibal walruses, with the words "WALRUS WALRUS WALRUS" emblazoned in a font made from walrus outlines. This would be the thirdmost walrussy flag of any nation today.

A picture paints a thousand words,

Looking forward to it, could win the first voting round

 

[The Atheist]

The New Zealand public have spoken on the subject, with a resounding "Nyet!"

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11441353

70/30 against says the referendum loses badly.