Editorial: On the fence on flag

Submissions closed yesterday for designs for a possible new flag, as part of the Flag Consideration Project.

If you had an idea for a fantastic New Zealand flag and haven't submitted it, you're out of luck.

Submissions closed yesterday for designs for a possible new flag, as part of the Flag Consideration Project.

Hundreds were expected in a last-minute rush, bringing it to about 8000 designs. From those, four will be put to a public vote this year in part one of a two-part referendum.

It's been a contentious topic, with a large chunk of the public seemingly of the view it's a waste of time and money. Indeed every street poll we have done on the topic - though of course completely non-scientific - comes back overwhelmingly with the "if it ain't broke why fix it" response.

But 8000 new designs indicates there must be a substantial level of support out there for a change. Or maybe just lots of aspiring artists keen to see their drawings on your voting forms.

I have to admit, I am a fence-sitter on this one, leaning slightly to the "what a waste of of money" camp.

I don't feel any overwhelming desire for the Government to change the flag. I feel pride in it not because of what it looks like but because it symbolises New Zealand, and I feel pride in New Zealand.

I agree $26 million is an awful lot of money. It makes me angry children are going to school without breakfast and families are living in cold homes. I would 100 per cent prefer that money was spent fixing those problems. But I suspect that's not how it works. If it wasn't being spent on the flag referendum, there is no guarantee it would be spent in these areas. So in that sense, the money argument is more about principles.

But then ... some of the new designs I have seen are pretty impressive. As is so often the case with change, people moan and grumble and wonder at the point of it. Yet once it's happened, we often step back and say actually, this is not so bad. We can be fickle like that, us humans.

A flag that shows the world the unique, independent, proud country we are. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I await with interest the selection of the final four designs. Hopefully a reasoned, intelligent debate will follow to help the country, and myself, make the right choice.