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Post by Admin on Sept 28, 2015 20:24:04 GMT
New Zealanders have been given a fifth design to choose from for their new flag. A popular campaign for a geometric design called "Red Peak" prompted lawmakers on Thursday to amend the rules to add it to the original four finalists, all variations of the fern leaf.  The Pacific nation of 4.5 million people is considering changing its flag because many consider it outdated and too similar to Australia's. It features Britain's Union Jack in the top left corner, signalling a colonial past that some are eager to put behind them.  A government-appointed panel had winnowed down more than 10,000 designs submitted by the public to four finalists. But many people felt those designs didn't offer enough choice, with three of them featuring silver ferns and the fourth a representation of an unfurled fern.  The Red Peak does not have any fern but a red triangle topped by a white triangle against a black background. The fern plant is indigenous to New Zealand and features on sports emblems including the rugby and cricket teams' uniforms. On Thursday, New Zealand's Parliament voted overwhelming to add Red Peak to a November referendum, after about 50,000 people signed an online petition urging that the design be considered. The vote came after a couple of weeks of political posturing and manoeuvring on the issue. The flag that wins in November will be pitted head-to-head against the current flag in a second nationwide vote next March. |
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Post by Admin on Oct 3, 2015 19:54:26 GMT
 Justin Bieber has joined the debate over the New Zealand flag, using a Kiwi radio interview today to plead for no change to the existing ensign. The Edge radio host Dom Harvey says Bieber was ready to proffer his opinion on the great debate in an interview recorded with the radio station during Bieber's flying Auckland visit on Thursday afternoon. After seeing the current design and the new contenders, including 'Red Peak', Bieber said he couldn't understand why New Zealand wanted a change: "Are you guys not confident in your flag? It looks fine to me." Harvey said it was the third time Bieber had appeared on their show, the first when Bieber was just 16 and had just broken through. "Every time he has always been quite lovely, quite a contrast from the way he is often portrayed by the media. "He was great: polite and friendly, very chilled out and low key." |
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Post by Admin on Dec 12, 2015 19:45:51 GMT
 New Zealanders have picked a blue and black design with the silver fern as the preliminary winner in a referendum on a possible new national flag. The runner-up is a similar-looking red, white and blue design.  The final result will be announced on Tuesday after late and overseas votes are counted, and may change as the winning margin is narrow. A second referendum will be held in March to decide whether to adopt the new flag, or keep the existing one.  New Zealanders were asked to choose which of five designs they preferred. About 48% of eligible voters took part in the first referendum, which has divided opinion in New Zealand over its cost and timing.  The preliminary winner and runner-up flags were both designed by architect Kyle Lockwood, and feature New Zealand icons the silver fern and the Southern Cross. The second-runner-up was Red Peak, which was added to the ballot after a social media lobbying campaign. |
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