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New Zealanders offered flag shortlist ask: can we have this one instead? | World news | The Guardian
New Zealanders offered flag shortlist ask: can we have this one instead?
Days after the government revealed four potential new flags to be put to a referendum, angry New Zealanders are campaigning to recognise a fifth alternative, or to boycott the whole process
Red Peak by Aaron Dustin, emerging as a possible fifth alternative to New Zealand’s flag. Photograph: A New Zealand Flag
Friday 4 September 2015 08.47 BST Last modified on Friday 4 September 2015 08.48 BST
New Zealanders have considered their government’s final shortlist of four potential new flags – three ferns, and an unfurling fern frond – and said: can we have another go?
Just days after the government-appointed flag consideration panel announced its final shortlist of four designs, a campaign has been launched to recognise a fifth, and another to boycott the referendum on the issue.
New Zealand's new flag: final four designs announced
Read more
The shortlist, which the panel chose from almost 10,300 submissions, met an overwhelmingly negative response when it was revealed on Monday.
Karl Puschmann summed up the sentiment in his column for the New Zealand Herald: “Well, it’s safe to say we blew it.”
“I just felt sad,” wrote media commentator Russell Brown. “After all this contemplation, we seemed to have wound up with what you’d get if you hadn’t really thought about it.”
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The final four designs chosen by the flag consideration panel. Photograph: Information and services | NZ
Government
The four designs – three of which show a silver fern and two the Southern Cross constellation – were criticised for their similarity both to one another and to corporate logos.
The disgruntlement at the decision was compounded by prime minister John Key’s earlier stated preference for a silver fern.
— Jeremy Hansen (@_jeremyhansen) September 1, 2015
It's like trying to choose NZ's best wine from a lineup of anodyne house blends. #nzflag
— Emma Espiner (@emmawehipeihana) August 31, 2015
Can we go for another draw please? #nzflag
— Thomas Le Bas (@thomaslebas) September 1, 2015
Yeah, something isn't right. Found this the other day. #NZflag pic.twitter.com/3Z9twOe9at
But calls for a fifth alternative to be recognised are gaining traction in an attempt to salvage the process.
Aaron Dustin’s “Red Peak” design – which was included in the longlist of 39 designs in early August – has emerged as the preferred flag of those who want another option in the first referendum in November.
That vote will determine the preferred alternative of the shortlisted four. The winner will be pitted against the existing flag in a second referendum in March.
— jen (@someofmybest) September 3, 2015
some time in the last 12 hours I suddenly really came to like this as an alternative flag design pic.twitter.com/HXff5VmlpH
The campaign was launched by Rowan Simpson, a software developer and investor who has held senior roles in some of New Zealand’s biggest tech companies, including Xero – whose chief executive, Rod Drury, was one of the 12 people on the Flag Consideration Panel. (Red Peak designer Dustin is also of Xero.)
In an open letter to John Key, published on his blog on Wednesday, Simpson said he was “saddened and disappointed” by the panel’s shortlist.
New Zealand's new flag: panel publishes 40 potential designs
Read more
“I know you want this to be a democratic process, but frankly, given those choices it feels like no choice at all, since three of the designs are so similar and two are identical except for substituted colours. At the moment it’s like being asked to choose between a Carl Jr, a Big Mac, a Whopper and … actually I don’t know the burger equivalent of the hypnoflag, so I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
Though Simpson, unlike many New Zealanders, believed that there should be a change of flag, he was concerned that none of the shortlisted four was a significant improvement on the status quo.
“Even as a strong supporter for change, I don’t believe any of these four designs are good enough. But, worse, I worry that one of them will be preferred over the current flag anyway.”
Red Peak, he wrote, was a “considered and elegant design ... the best of the bunch”, that referred both to the tukutuku panelling of the Maori people and the Union Jack, was effective rendered both large and small, and did “not look out of place when displayed alongside other great flags”.
He appealed to Key to replace one of Kyle Lockwood’s two shortlisted silver fern designs with Red Peak “and at least give us the option to choose”.
In the wake of Simpson’s blog post, “Team Red Peak” has emerged on Tumblr, Facebook and at the hashtag #RedPeak.
“Red Peak has won me over. I love it. And I’m not alone – a Red Peak groundswell is building. Team Red Peak. Unfurl the fifth flag,” wrote Toby Manhire with uncharacteristic fervour in his Herald column. “Even if it is deemed too late to ditch one of the Lockwoods, it at least shouldn’t be too late to add the Red Peak, even if it requires a legislative tweak.”
A spokeswoman for the flag consideration panel, Suzanne Stephenson, gave no indication Red Peak might be included: “The Flag Consideration Panel was appointed by Government to select the four alternative flag designs,” she said. “These four alternative designs have been approved by Cabinet for the first referendum in November this year.”
She directed further inquiries to the minister responsible, deputy prime minister Bill English, who did not respond to email requests for comment.
Those who are against a change in flag – or at least the adoption of one of the shortlisted designs – are now debating their strategy.
— Corpulent Tory (@SirWB) August 31, 2015
I like this one. #NZflag pic.twitter.com/oH66EHDrOl
The Returned and Services’ Association, which has opposed a change in flag ever since the idea was first floated, has called for New Zealanders to spoil their ballot in the first referendum by writing: “I vote for the current flag.” According to the New Zealand Flag Referendums Act 2015, the number of informal votes will be reported, but will have no bearing on the result.
With one of Lockwood’s designs (both of which pair the silver fern with the Southern Cross) tipped to come out on top of the first referendum, voting for Koru by Andrew Fyfe – the so-called “hypnoflag”, apparently the least popular of the four – has been touted as an option for those resisting a silver fern design, whether in defiance of Key or out of opposition to any change.
“Key wanted his legacy to be a silver fern derivative logo, and stacked the flag panel to deliver his preferred options in a 3:1 mix,” commented Mikaere Curtis on the left-leaning Public Address blog. “Screw that, I’m voting Hypnoflag followed by Keep The Existing One, I want a proper process not this farce.”
But in the absence of an alternative design the public feels it can get behind, the most simple strategy – abstaining in the first referendum – is likely to be the one most widely adopted.
A Facebook event, inelegantly but succinctly titled “Boycotting November’s Flag Referendum – All 4 options suck”, calls for New Zealanders to “pledge your willingness to ignore the most cringeworthy attempts at identity in this country since the “Wellywood” sign, and has 11,000 confirmed attendees so far.
Its organisers have vehemently resisted suggestions that the movement is a show against John Key’s government. “Whether you’re pro change or anti change one thing we can surely agree on is that the 4 designs unveiled this morning are fucking terrible,” its founding statement said.
New Zealanders offered flag shortlist ask: can we have this one instead?
Days after the government revealed four potential new flags to be put to a referendum, angry New Zealanders are campaigning to recognise a fifth alternative, or to boycott the whole process
Red Peak by Aaron Dustin, emerging as a possible fifth alternative to New Zealand’s flag. Photograph: A New Zealand Flag
Friday 4 September 2015 08.47 BST Last modified on Friday 4 September 2015 08.48 BST
New Zealanders have considered their government’s final shortlist of four potential new flags – three ferns, and an unfurling fern frond – and said: can we have another go?
Just days after the government-appointed flag consideration panel announced its final shortlist of four designs, a campaign has been launched to recognise a fifth, and another to boycott the referendum on the issue.
New Zealand's new flag: final four designs announced
Read more
The shortlist, which the panel chose from almost 10,300 submissions, met an overwhelmingly negative response when it was revealed on Monday.
Karl Puschmann summed up the sentiment in his column for the New Zealand Herald: “Well, it’s safe to say we blew it.”
“I just felt sad,” wrote media commentator Russell Brown. “After all this contemplation, we seemed to have wound up with what you’d get if you hadn’t really thought about it.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
The final four designs chosen by the flag consideration panel. Photograph: Information and services | NZ
Government
The four designs – three of which show a silver fern and two the Southern Cross constellation – were criticised for their similarity both to one another and to corporate logos.
The disgruntlement at the decision was compounded by prime minister John Key’s earlier stated preference for a silver fern.
— Jeremy Hansen (@_jeremyhansen) September 1, 2015
It's like trying to choose NZ's best wine from a lineup of anodyne house blends. #nzflag
— Emma Espiner (@emmawehipeihana) August 31, 2015
Can we go for another draw please? #nzflag
Yeah, something isn't right. Found this the other day. #NZflag pic.twitter.com/3Z9twOe9at
But calls for a fifth alternative to be recognised are gaining traction in an attempt to salvage the process.
Aaron Dustin’s “Red Peak” design – which was included in the longlist of 39 designs in early August – has emerged as the preferred flag of those who want another option in the first referendum in November.
That vote will determine the preferred alternative of the shortlisted four. The winner will be pitted against the existing flag in a second referendum in March.
some time in the last 12 hours I suddenly really came to like this as an alternative flag design pic.twitter.com/HXff5VmlpH
The campaign was launched by Rowan Simpson, a software developer and investor who has held senior roles in some of New Zealand’s biggest tech companies, including Xero – whose chief executive, Rod Drury, was one of the 12 people on the Flag Consideration Panel. (Red Peak designer Dustin is also of Xero.)
In an open letter to John Key, published on his blog on Wednesday, Simpson said he was “saddened and disappointed” by the panel’s shortlist.
New Zealand's new flag: panel publishes 40 potential designs
Read more
“I know you want this to be a democratic process, but frankly, given those choices it feels like no choice at all, since three of the designs are so similar and two are identical except for substituted colours. At the moment it’s like being asked to choose between a Carl Jr, a Big Mac, a Whopper and … actually I don’t know the burger equivalent of the hypnoflag, so I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
Though Simpson, unlike many New Zealanders, believed that there should be a change of flag, he was concerned that none of the shortlisted four was a significant improvement on the status quo.
“Even as a strong supporter for change, I don’t believe any of these four designs are good enough. But, worse, I worry that one of them will be preferred over the current flag anyway.”
Red Peak, he wrote, was a “considered and elegant design ... the best of the bunch”, that referred both to the tukutuku panelling of the Maori people and the Union Jack, was effective rendered both large and small, and did “not look out of place when displayed alongside other great flags”.
He appealed to Key to replace one of Kyle Lockwood’s two shortlisted silver fern designs with Red Peak “and at least give us the option to choose”.
In the wake of Simpson’s blog post, “Team Red Peak” has emerged on Tumblr, Facebook and at the hashtag #RedPeak.
“Red Peak has won me over. I love it. And I’m not alone – a Red Peak groundswell is building. Team Red Peak. Unfurl the fifth flag,” wrote Toby Manhire with uncharacteristic fervour in his Herald column. “Even if it is deemed too late to ditch one of the Lockwoods, it at least shouldn’t be too late to add the Red Peak, even if it requires a legislative tweak.”
A spokeswoman for the flag consideration panel, Suzanne Stephenson, gave no indication Red Peak might be included: “The Flag Consideration Panel was appointed by Government to select the four alternative flag designs,” she said. “These four alternative designs have been approved by Cabinet for the first referendum in November this year.”
She directed further inquiries to the minister responsible, deputy prime minister Bill English, who did not respond to email requests for comment.
Those who are against a change in flag – or at least the adoption of one of the shortlisted designs – are now debating their strategy.
I like this one. #NZflag pic.twitter.com/oH66EHDrOl
The Returned and Services’ Association, which has opposed a change in flag ever since the idea was first floated, has called for New Zealanders to spoil their ballot in the first referendum by writing: “I vote for the current flag.” According to the New Zealand Flag Referendums Act 2015, the number of informal votes will be reported, but will have no bearing on the result.
With one of Lockwood’s designs (both of which pair the silver fern with the Southern Cross) tipped to come out on top of the first referendum, voting for Koru by Andrew Fyfe – the so-called “hypnoflag”, apparently the least popular of the four – has been touted as an option for those resisting a silver fern design, whether in defiance of Key or out of opposition to any change.
“Key wanted his legacy to be a silver fern derivative logo, and stacked the flag panel to deliver his preferred options in a 3:1 mix,” commented Mikaere Curtis on the left-leaning Public Address blog. “Screw that, I’m voting Hypnoflag followed by Keep The Existing One, I want a proper process not this farce.”
But in the absence of an alternative design the public feels it can get behind, the most simple strategy – abstaining in the first referendum – is likely to be the one most widely adopted.
A Facebook event, inelegantly but succinctly titled “Boycotting November’s Flag Referendum – All 4 options suck”, calls for New Zealanders to “pledge your willingness to ignore the most cringeworthy attempts at identity in this country since the “Wellywood” sign, and has 11,000 confirmed attendees so far.
Its organisers have vehemently resisted suggestions that the movement is a show against John Key’s government. “Whether you’re pro change or anti change one thing we can surely agree on is that the 4 designs unveiled this morning are fucking terrible,” its founding statement said.
