LIKE every patriotic Kiwi, I watch the All Blacks. Even if I don't get up on the dot I record it or watch the highlights and catch up on all the action.
There is nothing more satisfying to a true Kiwi than vanquishing the Aussie rugby team.
Watching the Rugby World Cup recently, however, provided me with worry. There were far more All Blacks signs and black flags with silver ferns being waved about the exuberant "international" crowd than our own national flag. With the flag debate about to enter its final stage before voting I believe it's important that whatever symbol we choose must represent New Zealand and everyone must accept the final decision. I want a symbol that we proudly wave at All Blacks games AND that can be honourably displayed at the United Nations. To test if this use of "All Blacks Flags" was a common occurrence I brought up Google, as you do nowadays, and searched "All Blacks Rugby Crowds". To my relief there were New Zealand flags, however they were swarmed with silver fern flags, and black flags and signs with "Go All Blacks" or "Try". There is no reason why this should be so. A big New Zealand flag is far more patriotic and supportive than anything else we can display.
The flag process angers me slightly, mainly because as a 17-year-old I cannot vote in the referendum. The Government does let me shoot guns, have sex and drive, however. The Scottish let citizens aged 16 vote in their independence referendum, so why can't we let the future generations vote on a subject of national identity?
This design process has been completed already, and I am deemed inadequate to contribute further by participating in the upcoming referendum so you might wonder why I care. Well, money is the main factor for my concern. There is around $25.7 million going to this process. This money has been spent, non-refundable, used, and people complain. I tell people that because the money has now been spent, it should incentivise you to make a more careful decision, but people are now using their anger with John Key, the process or the money spent as reasons to vote for the old flag. If $25.7 million is what it takes to make this decision, then I can accept that, especially with the Government's surplus and the amount of resources allocated towards important areas. I mean would you rather not get a flag change? People say, "why don't you spend this money on starving children?" Well, the Government is doing that also and $25.7 million is actually quite small in the big picture of government spending.
