Answers in with the questions:

Dulouz:

 

My daughter has a school assignment where she has to interview one person who wants the flag to change and another who wants it to stay how it is. Finding someone who wants the flag to change was easy but she is struggling to find someone to wants the current flag to stay.

 

If you are someone who does want the flag to stay as it is she would appreciate it if you could answer the following questions. We only need one response.

 

 

1. Do you think we should change our flag?
   Not at this time.
   
   
2. Why do you think that?
   First, I am not a huge fan of our current flag and would be happy if it changed, however I feel changing the flag is not something that should be done "on a whim", no matter whose whim it was. Changing the flag should be done to mark some significant development of New Zealand as a nation, such as becoming a republic and/or severing ties with the Commonwealth.
   Next, I'm not a particular fan of any of the designs that made the short list for the first referendum. Personally I liked the Red Peak design more than the others, but I didn't like it enough to want it to be our new national flag, and "the one I hated least" or "it could have been worse" is not how I want to feel about our new flag.
   Finally, there are many social issues in New Zealand that affect individuals and communities, e.g. closing schools, children living in poverty, increasing our refugee quota, domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse, the disenfranchising of our indigenous people... and I feel the money spent on meetings up and down the country and two referenda would be much better spent on something that would make a genuine difference to people's lives.
   
   
3. If there was a different option (ie not the Silver Fern) would you change your mind?
   To be honest, I don't know. Possibly. If there was an option I felt strongly about I would probably be more engaged in the process.
   
   
4. Did you agree with the Red Peak design being included in the first referendum?
   Yes. The original short list was three silver ferns and one koru design. I felt the majority of these designs were too similar and didn't give us enough choice - as though we were being pushed towards a particular outcome. Including Red Peak at least provided an option for people (like me) who don't want the fern on our flag.
   
   
5. Was there another design you would have liked to see included in the first referendum? If so, which one?
   I was a fan of some of Chris Wadsworth's Long White Cloud/koru designs and would have liked to see one of those in the first referendum, probably this one, although a number of them were very similar.
   
   
6. What do you think makes New Zealand special?
   Our record in human rights and belief in "doing the right thing", e.g. giving women the vote, decriminalising homosexuality and legalising same sex marriage, our nuclear fee stance.
   Our (relatively) harmonious multicultural society with it's blend of European, Maori, Pacifica and increasing Asian, and African and Middle Eastern influences.
   Good old Kiwi ingenuity and "can do" attitude.
   Our sense of place - we identify as Kiwis and have a connection to our environment. 
   
   
7. What symbols best represent New Zealand’s unique character?
   Many things come to mind, however there are some I don't necessarily want on a flag, e.g. a kiwi or silver fern (or, as someone said to me a few months ago, Hobbits). Others are not necessarily unique to New Zealand, e.g. the Southern Cross constellation - perhaps we should use the Matariki/Pleiades constellation instead? I do like the koru, which represents new beginnings and harmony.