On Flying the Flag For New Zealand and for Democracy

[danieldwilliam]

I am quite excited about the latest referendum in New Zealand. They are considering changing their flag from the Australian Flag the current design adopted in 1902 to another design, which it is hoped would better represent the New Zealand of the 21st and 22nd Centuries.

They have canvassed designs in an open competition, reduced the 10,000 suggestions to a long list, and further reduced that to a short list.

New Zealanders will vote on the top candidate from the 4 entries on the short list using the Alternative Vote and then the winner of that referendum will go (mast) head to (mast) head, pole to pole, flago i flago against the Australian Flag the current New Zealand Flag.

Which seems to me to be a reasonable and democratic way of deciding on whether to replace a current incumbent and with what. It's the system I advocate for deciding on electoral reform, or house of lords reform.

More details below.

https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/the-nz-flag-your-chance-to-decide/gallery/


http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11505765

I wonder what designs we would be offered in Scotland if we ran the same process

Comments

[matgb]

*cough* Aus and NZ flags are currently different.
*cough* current NZ flag predates current Aus flag by about half a century

But yeah, NZ's history of preferendums is something to pay more attention to I think.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

I'm aware of the both the history of and differences between the two flags but regardless of the New Zealand's priority they do suffer a bit from having a flag that is easily and often mistaken for the flag of their larger and more glamourous neighbour.

They do things properly in New Zealand. Even if the big boys stole their flag and ran away.

[matgb]

True, true.

I like the blue and black one with the fern.

It also of course makes it a bit easier moving forward, if Scotland does secede then the current Union flag needs changing, having that embedded in a chunk of Commonwealth flags is a complication.

Of course, if Scotland does vote to leave then the North'll want to come with it ;-)