NEW Zealand, NEW flag

[Boicote]

New Zealand is going to held a referendum to choose a new flag.

https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-...nce-to-decide/

There will be two stages in the referendum. The first stage is planned to take place in November and it will ask voters to rank four shortlisted flag alternatives in order of preference. The most popular design will contend with the current national flag in the second stage of the referendum.

So, if you were a New Zealander, which flag would you choose?

A) Silver Fern (Black & White)



B) Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue)


C) Koru


D) Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue)


E) The current flag


EDIT:

And we have a winner!

[Stavroforos]

Honestly, the current flag looks best...the other flags make them look like just another irrelevant Micronesian state. Perhaps if they found a better way to stylize that leaf.

[ccllnply]

What's wrong with the current flag? Seriously why would any modern nation waste money on a referendum to change a design? Actually why would you have two instead of just one for no reason?

And I agree with Stavroforos, the current flag looks best.

[Boicote]

What's wrong with the current flag? Seriously why would any modern nation waste money on a referendum to change a design? Actually why would you have two instead of just one for no reason?

And I agree with Stavroforos, the current flag looks best.

From what I read, the people who support the flag change say that it's an anachronism to have the Union Jack in the flag because New Zealand is no longer a British colony. Moreover, the current flag is too much similar with Australia's flag and the two are often confused. Finally, the current flag is too much "european", i.e, it does not represent the Maori people who live in New Zealand.

[Sir Adrian]

I find option B the best

What's wrong with the current flag? Seriously why would any modern nation waste money on a referendum to change a design? Actually why would you have two instead of just one for no reason?

And I agree with Stavroforos, the current flag looks best.

The current flag gets confused with the Australian flag 90% of the time since the differences are minimal. It's like people worldwide confusing the flag of Ireland with Italy or Scotland, eventually it pisses you off.

[Kyriakos]

I like A,B and D.

Why not D without the four stars?

[Stavroforos]

From what I read, people who support the flag change argument that it's an anachronism to have the Union Jack in the flag, since New Zealand is no longer a British colony. Moreover, the current flag is too much similar with Australia's flag and the two are often confused. Finally, the current flag is too much "european", i.e, it does not represent the Maori people who live in New Zealand.

I can see why they'd want to get rid of the Union Jack, but the giant leaf going across the flag is simply too "artsy" looking for me.

The current flag gets confused with the Australian flag 90% of the time since the differences are minimal. It's like people worldwide confusing the flag of Ireland with Italy or Scotland, eventually it pisses you off.

I don't think anybody confused the flag of Ireland and Italy with Scotland, but I mean, I don't think it's really a very relevant point. I mean, Romania, Moldova, Chad, and Andorra all have very similar (in some cases identical) flags, but I don't see anyone rushing to change those ones. The Australian and New Zealand flags don't look alike outside of the fact that they have Union Jacks, stars, and a blue background. If that was a legitimate reason for changing flags for the New Zealand populace, it seems as though they have an inferiority complex to Australia, which is probably true anyway.

[ccllnply]

Even if the two flags are similar, I don't see it as such a problem that you require a national referendum. The only area where that might prove a problem is in international diplomacy, in which case you would expect your diplomats to be able to tell the difference.

New Zealand is still part of the Commonwealth so I don't see the Union Jack as a problem. They were on good terms in Britain and had dominion status. It'd be a different story if the Union Jack was on the Irish or Indian flag. And the flag is only "European" because of the Union Jack, there's no other reason you'd link it to Europe.

I don't know why I'm so cynical about it. To me, one referendum seems unnecessary. Two just seems downright wasteful.

[Sir Adrian]

Moldova and Andorra have a different size and different shades for each color, plus a unique coat of arms so they're pretty distinct. It's hard to confuse an auroch with a catalunyan shield.
Romania and Chad have an ongoing dispute on who should change the flag and there have been several proposals in Romania to add the coat of arms back to the flag but they failed because it reminds anti-communists of the bad old days when papa Stalin roamed the land and the communist remnants (socialists) would sooner die than have the old royal coat of arms back on the flag.

[Stavroforos]

Why would you put royal coat of arms if you're a republic? But in any case, the argument is "similar" not "identical," and all those flags are similar enough to cause confusion, moreso I would argue than Australian vs. New Zealand flag.

[Hobbes]

B is best; I always found colonial flags to look very weird so I welcome the change.

[Kyriakos]

B looks better, but isn't Black supposed to symbolise the Maori?

[Markas]

Where's the Kiwi?

I was expecting a Giant Moa at least.

[Hobbes]

B looks better, but isn't Black supposed to symbolise the Maori?

I think the Maori colors are Red and Black. I suppose your choice of D without the stars would be better, as red is already present in the Union Jack, making an association with the Maori less apparent.

[athanaric]

They all look OK to me, including the current flag, but I'm leaning towards B. It's aesthetically pleasing and it incorporates the British heritage via the colours, the native flora and fauna, as well as the Maori heritage, via the silver fern, and its location as well as the way of its discovery (by both the Maori and the British) via the stars.
D looks cool close up, but wouldn't be very effective at long range due to the colour combination. A looks good, but it ditches the British element. C just gives you a headache.

edit - some points to consider:
http://www.ausflag.com.au/assets/images/Good-Flag-Bad-Flag.pdf
http://ideas.ted.com/7-fantastic-fla...y-design-rule/

[Påsan]

A looks like a flag for a pottery shop, B looks ok ish, C is hard to imagine on a flag pole, not to mention the flag of a country, D looks like a work in progress on paint and E looks like Australia.

Sorry New Sealand. You're shafted.


I got a good suggestion though:




Its New Zealand. Its aesthetic and immersive as 10/10

[Sir Adrian]

Why would you put royal coat of arms if you're a republic? But in any case, the argument is "similar" not "identical," and all those flags are similar enough to cause confusion, moreso I would argue than Australian vs. New Zealand flag.

Because the royal coat of arms was comprised mostly of the traditional coat of arms of the romanian principalities (the eagle) + the Hohenzollern lions and cross, the same eagle which is also our current coat of arms and the old idiots in parliament fear the king more than they fear death at the moment so any hint of monarchism, evne an indirect reference, is like cancer to them

[Stavroforos]

Because the royal coat of arms was comprised mostly of the traditional coat of arms of the romanian principalities (the eagle) + the Hohenzollern lions and cross, the same eagle which is also our current coat of arms and the old idiots in parliament fear the king more than they fear death at the moment so any hint of monarchism, evne an indirect reference, is like cancer to them

And also I imagine because Romania is a republic, so having a royal coat of arms is simply wrong.

[Sir Adrian]

Our current official coat of arms is the royal coat of arms.

[Stavroforos]

Our current official coat of arms is the royal coat of arms.

Looks like you guys are a bit confused about your country, then. Might as well put in a hammer and sickle and an Iron Guard symbol to be accurate in the "history."