Why voting for the flag change is voting for an identity
What is New Zealand to the rest of the world? I am sure many of us would have heard some strange answers from outsiders. One common reference that comes up all the time while geographically placing our country is the proximity to Australia. We have always remained as a tiny nation under the shadow of our Trans-Tasman ‘older’ brother neighbor. The equation becomes foggier when one tries to explain the difference between the flags of the two great nations, which is strikingly similar.
In 1984, when Australian Prime minister Bob Hawke visited Ottawa, he was greeted with a New Zealand flag. According to the current Prime minister of New Zealand, John Key, he has been seated and welcomed more than once under the Australian flag during international summits. One can imagine the frustration one must have experienced in such circumstances and hence, it is the time for us to separate ourselves from being ‘a small country besides Australia’ to an independent and proud country.
If one looks beyond the argument that our flag looks similar to the Australian flag, there are many more reasons, which pop up glaring at us. The Union Jack in the current flag has a touch of colonialism, which is anachronistic and doesn’t represent the values of independence and freedom which our country stands for. It signifies the heritage of Great Britain but fails to value the essence of Maori and other ethnic groups, which have contributed immensely to the country’s heritage and growth. Even our servicemen and women who are buried in battlefield cemeteries across the other side of the world have the silver fern engraved on their headstones, not the New Zealand flag.
Therefore, it becomes imperative that we have a flag that is simple but yet powerful enough to take our story and our people to the world. It is a chance for us to come out of the Australian shadow. The best example for this is Canada. It changed its flag in 1965 to a simple maple leaf, which makes it instantly simple, recognizable and effective. It still remains a part of commonwealth and a constitutional monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II.
It is once in a lifetime opportunity to opt for a change that will change the way the world would look at our country. We are the country of firsts. It will be for the first time in the world history that a country will choose its flag in a democratic process.
New Zealand flag has changed three times before, but this time around, we have a genuine opportunity to express what it is to be a New Zealander in the 21st century. Vote for change this March. Have your say and vote to change the flag.
What is New Zealand to the rest of the world? I am sure many of us would have heard some strange answers from outsiders. One common reference that comes up all the time while geographically placing our country is the proximity to Australia. We have always remained as a tiny nation under the shadow...
What is New Zealand to the rest of the world? I am sure many of us would have heard some strange answers from outsiders. One common reference that comes up all the time while geographically placing our country is the proximity to Australia. We have always remained as a tiny nation under the shadow of our Trans-Tasman ‘older’ brother neighbor. The equation becomes foggier when one tries to explain the difference between the flags of the two great nations, which is strikingly similar.
In 1984, when Australian Prime minister Bob Hawke visited Ottawa, he was greeted with a New Zealand flag. According to the current Prime minister of New Zealand, John Key, he has been seated and welcomed more than once under the Australian flag during international summits. One can imagine the frustration one must have experienced in such circumstances and hence, it is the time for us to separate ourselves from being ‘a small country besides Australia’ to an independent and proud country.
If one looks beyond the argument that our flag looks similar to the Australian flag, there are many more reasons, which pop up glaring at us. The Union Jack in the current flag has a touch of colonialism, which is anachronistic and doesn’t represent the values of independence and freedom which our country stands for. It signifies the heritage of Great Britain but fails to value the essence of Maori and other ethnic groups, which have contributed immensely to the country’s heritage and growth. Even our servicemen and women who are buried in battlefield cemeteries across the other side of the world have the silver fern engraved on their headstones, not the New Zealand flag.
Therefore, it becomes imperative that we have a flag that is simple but yet powerful enough to take our story and our people to the world. It is a chance for us to come out of the Australian shadow. The best example for this is Canada. It changed its flag in 1965 to a simple maple leaf, which makes it instantly simple, recognizable and effective. It still remains a part of commonwealth and a constitutional monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II.
It is once in a lifetime opportunity to opt for a change that will change the way the world would look at our country. We are the country of firsts. It will be for the first time in the world history that a country will choose its flag in a democratic process.
New Zealand flag has changed three times before, but this time around, we have a genuine opportunity to express what it is to be a New Zealander in the 21st century. Vote for change this March. Have your say and vote to change the flag.
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