New Flag Ideas

I don't like any of the 4 flag options, but I'd be keen for a change if there was an option I thought worked, so I had a quick mock-up of one. Basic and needs some adjustments but what do you guys think? You can see it flying here.

The colours are taken directly from the current flag and Tino Rangatiratanga, representing our cultural heritage.

Blue is for the sea.

Red is for the dawn, or new day, indicating New Zealand as being first to see the light of a new day.

White is the sky - in particular the white clouds.

Black is for our land, and symbolises unity and multiculture.

The stars symbolise our geographical position.

The pattern is designed to draw our eyes to the centre (New Zealand), bringing all cultures together in one place. The top triangle is for mountains, and the bottom for lakes and rivers, and reference Maori design.

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Comments? Yes it's too late but having a bit of fun really.

Marrmite jar on a yellow background.

are we really doing this?

A kiwi cutting the head off a beat up kangaroo with a boomerang.

Black background to symbolise the darkness of the kiwis heart.

I know everyone is taking the piss, but to be honest this is better than another silver fern design. The proportions aren't quite right with the lines and its a little busy with the southern cross in the middle.

Cut out the southern cross and make the lines the same width and you could be onto something. Although as you said its too late now.

Here's the one that should have been on the shortlist - Red Peak

Explanation

But where's the fern?

I would be happy for the flag to stay the same.

What about a bum with a fist going up it?

That's Burberry isn't it?

I probably would have voted for that if it was an option.

Why dont we have a flag with a white background and a photo of John Key in the middle - his idea so why not reward him and let his legacey be immortalised. Perhaps a picture on Max in the background.

On a more serious note, keep the current flag or what about this?

Sorry just dont get that red peak crap. Dont get peoples preference for it.

It's not my favourite of the designs but it was one of very few that made the final 40 I thought was passable and it's about 6 billion times better than any of the final four.

Out of a subset of the final four, Red Peak and the current flag it's my choice.  If it's not part of the final decision I'll choose the status quo.

There are at least another 10 I have seen that would be ahead of it if they were in the list, but most of them didn't even make the badly assembled final 40.

It's simple, it's strong, it's distinctive. Flags shouldn't be cluttered with crap, or look like logos or cricket uniforms.

And it has a story, and a reference to our old flag.

I am strongly in favour of keeping the existing flag. ESPECIALLY given the current four choices.

Red Peak is MUCH better than any of the four choices...

...and in the first referendum I would vote for it, IF I was going to be voting for the one I preferred (i.e. IF I wanted the falg to change)

(which I wouldn't be, because I want the current flag to remain the flag, so I'd be voting for the option I thought was LEAST likely to topple the current flag)

While red peak grew on me and it's something I would like our flag to change to... John saying it can't be an option irrespective of the number of kiwis keen on it undoubtedly proves it's John Keys flags we get to pick from and the court order shark is just a fudgeing waste of more fudgeing money and air time.

Everyone moaning about the flag choices took part in the consultation, the meetings , the online discussions expressing the view that they did not want  Ferns, Stars, or Korus in the design. No ? Thought not.

You see being a participant in a democracy is more than just turning up to vote.

People love democracy,  but only of it gives them the result they want.

I did. I mad a submission to the Parliamentary committee.

As did I. I suspect  we are a tiny minority

I was expecting to have a choice of flags, not 3 ferns and a Koru.  

I would hope that they just didn't leave it to those processes, it creates self-selection bias and can in no way be representative of the nations view. I would have hoped they did some qualitative research that looked to get ideas and opinions from a variety of backgrounds of NZers.

Also disappointed that the PM was so vocal for one type of flag, it could be seen to be priming/biasing the public.

40 flags on the initial shortlist and we've effectively ended up with 2 choices from 40 made completely by committee (i.e. decided by John Key's preference). If they are determined to do this right, it needs to be done carefully not as some popularity contest mixed in with a McDonalds coloring competition. 

1. Referendum to see if the majority want a flag change (a) now (b) later (c) never

2. If now, then move to step 3, if later or never then process ends. 

3. Professional designers are commissioned to design a new flag - the commissioned designers should have access to any resource needed for research including NZ historians, experts in Te Reo etc.

4. Shortlist is then created by diverse public polling to 3 choices.

5. Referendum held, new flag chosen, job done. 

My point still stands. The opportunity was there through select committee process etc when the referendum bill was introduced to have your very good ideas put forward.

No use not participating then suggest a completely different process after the fact. 

This so much. Should never have been a croudsourced design clusterfudge.

How can you ask people to change if they have no idea what to change to? They will always choose 'no change' because if they have no idea what they are changing to, then they will always always always say no.

I'm going to take away your car and give you something else. What are you going to say?

I'm going to put in a new structure in your job. Keen?

People resist change. Its an absolute fact.

So instead waste a bunch of time, effort and cash on something that's not going to happen anyway? If the desire was never really there for change, a bunch of pretty pictures isn't going to change the minds of the majority. 

Democratic process. You can say the desire is not there for change after the polls bear out and show your position to be true. Until then, yours is just one opinion out of 4.5 million.

http://www.yellowfever.co.nz/categories/off-topic/...

No need for calling personal character into the conversation and no, I don't follow America's Cup. Benefits the few, same real reason for the flag change.  It's got nothing to do with national identity and everything  to do with marketing and John's CV 

For me, I think our current flag is identical to Australias and there is proven confusion around it. I like one of the ideas (black and blue) and find that symbolises more patriotism than the current flag. Thats my opinion and I have 1 vote like everyone else. Rather than concoct conspiracy theorys about it being all about John Key (and I've heard others that are just so ridiculous, that shares in tinfoil must be through the roof), take part in the deomcratic process and voice your right to say that all the other flags suck. That way, there is not a character assassination and if you are right, we'll still have the same flag in a years time

One of the things that aussies come up with is 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' 

It is not like the aussie flag.

It won't be when they change theirs.

I'm calling out political motivation not personal character. As for our flag/Aussie flag is almost the same Ireland/Ivory Coast, Luxembourg/Netherlands seem to have their own identity without needing a pretty trinket to flash around. If people can't tell the difference, what does it matter? You've got a picture of Darth Vader, doesn't mean anyone thinks the force is strong with you. 

That will not happen any time soon.

A quick survey of 10 of my customers, only one wanted to change the flag.

I do think the whole flag consultation and referendum process is/was a shambles though. 

Not voting or engagement can effectively be a "no-confidence" vote and the fact that someone didn't vote or engage doesn't stop them having the right to an opinion on it.

Again, if you are right, the results will bear out. I tend to think that those people that live in their own vacuum (the Red Peak brigade) seem to think that cause they have 10000 people that say this is cool, then they have to be right. Again, the democratic process will bear through if you are right. Also if hate the *waste* of $26m, use your vote again in 2017 to vote in all the other sane thinking politicians who would never do anything ludicrous. Or should we scrap that democratic process too and go to a dictatorship....

I'm calling out the party who he happens to be the figurehead of