Editorial: Making the flag decision

Photo / NZME.

As things stand, those hoping for a new national flag could be out of luck.

Support for change has plummeted in the last year. The latest Herald-Digipoll shows just one in four people, or 25 per cent, would like to see a change.

That's down from 40 per cent support a year ago.

POLL: SHOULD NZ CHANGE ITS FLAG?

It's clearly an important issue that demands a reasoned national conversation, but many are dismissing the idea without debate because 1) there are more important things to worry about (not incorrect), 2) they think the current flag should stay, and/or 3) the process of consultation and potential change is too expensive.

That's their prerogative, of course, but it's worth letting the process play out so everyone has at least an idea of what the possibilities are.

At the end of the day, New Zealanders will have their say on whether or not to retain the current flag.

The formal flag change process started yesterday and there will be a series of roadshows and hui.

Kiwis are invited to submit designs and ideas for a new flag.

A Flag Consideration Project panel will consider the alternative designs before a postal referendum later this year in which one design will be chosen by the public.

A second binding referendum in March will pit that design against the current flag.

Yes, we could have a new flag within a year.

Perhaps critics are right in saying the first poll should ask whether or not to change the flag, but one of the reasons for suggesting change is to give ourselves a flag that represents our past, our present, our future, our hopes, our ideals and, most importantly, our people. A simple yes or no poll would unfairly pit the current flag against an unknown alternative.

However it all pans out, at least we can say we considered our options carefully.

Then we can start talking about that national anthem ...