Editorial: Flag issue still not over

Which flag should fly this Waitangi Day?

Once again this year on Waitangi Day Rotorua Lakes Council will fly the New Zealand flag and the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand.

The latter is to represent local iwi, and is preferred over the more commonly flown Tino Rangatiratanga flag.

Te Arawa leaders have told the council the Tino Rangatiratanga flag is not seen as representative of local iwi, and the United Tribes flag is being flown until Te Arawa can propose a permanent flag design it is happy with.

This is the third year the United Tribes will fly alongside the New Zealand flag.

A year ago we reported mayor Steve Chadwick as saying the Maori flag issue needed to be sorted by Waitangi Day this year.

"We're urging Te Arawa to make a concerted effort to come up with a design of their own that reflects the unique and special character of our local iwi - and to have it ready ahead of Waitangi Day next year."

While it would be nice to have seen a uniquely Te Arawa flag flying this Waitangi Day, it was never going to happen quickly.

Te Arawa is a large entity, made up of many iwi and hapu. Decisions on important, even crucial, matters like this involving much discussion are always going to take time.

And it's a difficult task. While some would prefer the Tino Rangatiratanga flag to fly on Waitangi Day, local iwi leaders are right to seek another option. The striking red, black and white flag comes with political baggage - it has become more than a pan Maori symbol - and perhaps iwi leaders felt it would not be appropriate as the statement of partnership it is meant to be.

Finding a Te Arawa alternative should be a priority.

The council reiterated this week it is happy to wait until iwi leaders can come up with a flag design that they feel represents them, but you have to imagine it would prefer to be flying a new Te Arawa flag by Waitangi Day 2016.