Rescue the flag debacle with Maori protest design

As the flag fiasco grinds to a halt, bogged down with three variations on a silver fern plus an upside-down koru frond, out of the reject bag pops the Red Peak. It's a collection of coloured triangles that looks like one of those simple jigsaw puzzles you find in a toy shop, labelled suitable for children aged 3-5 years.

In a desperate attempt to resuscitate his dying campaign, Prime Minister John Key is now hinting at rewriting the rules and adding Red Peak to the shortlist of four that have so far underwhelmed the nation. But only if the other political party leaders get in behind the whole embarrassing exercise and, by association, share the blame when it all implodes.

With their public opinion antennas twitching, both Mr Key and Labour's Andrew Little are talking of a groundswell of support on social media for the triangles. Apparently, 50,000 supporters have signed a petition calling for Red Peak to be added to the referendum shortlist. It appeals to the young, we're told, which helps explain why it does nothing for me.

All those sharp angles put me off. It's too like the flags of assorted new tropical nations, not all of which share our democratic traditions. Countries like Djibouti, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, the two Congo Republics and Guyana, for example.

Designer Aaron Dustin says his design evokes the Maori myth of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, the sky father and earth mother who lie locked together. If so, why reinvent the wheel. The tino rangatiratanga flag (right), created in 1989 for northern Maori protest group Te Kawariki, already performs that job perfectly.

It has the red and black halves representing the creation myth, and a central white koru representing the unfolding of new life, renewal and hope. It also has the wow factor.

Every time I see it - last week it popped up on our screens at the Kaitaia Airport protest - is a reminder of how eye-catchingly special it is. It not only knocks the socks off the four on the shortlist and the Red Peak but eclipses the royal naval ensign we've been using since 1901.

On the wider world stage, it has the potential to join the haka as an instant "Made in New Zealand" signpost.

Of course, this whole rebranding exercise is back to front. Instead of changing the flag and trying to kid the world we've grown up and finally left home, we should actually cut the colonial umbilical cord first and be honest with ourselves. The Queen's made enough hints she won't be upset if we make the break. Instead, we fluff around debating whether to update the constitutional curtains.

Even that simple task has turned sour, with Labour taking advantage of the public turnoff to demand the referendum process be changed. It's proposing the process be truncated and that the first referendum to decide which of the short-listed designs we prefer ask also whether we want to bother with the second, main flag change referendum.

For this mess, Mr Key has only himself to blame. He widely signalled that his preference was for something like the All Blacks' silver fern flag.

He then set up a 10-member, so-called independent flag panel that included a former All Blacks captain, a former Chief of Defence but no design expert.

Last weekend, the Herald revealed one panelist, Julie Christie, of reality TV fame, was also a member of a Government body that promoted use of the Fern Mark image. She was also a member of NZ Rugby Union's commercial committee. She declared her conflicts of interest and "excluded herself from any discussions in relation to designs that included those particular ferns", explained a panel spokeswoman.

Nevertheless, three out of the four shortlisted flags were dominated by fern leafs. None have grabbed the public imagination.

I did propose going flag-less a few weeks back, but that attracted little support. That leaves the tino rangatiratanga flag.

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