New Zealand May Lose The Union Jack Flag

New Zealand May Lose The Union Jack Flag

A referendum will be held in New Zealand to see if the Union Jack flag will be replaced. Many New Zealanders, including Prime Minister John Key support the change and argue that it should be replaced with the grey fern symbol that the All Blacks wear on their jerseys.

Key announced today that a referendum will be held within three years on the matter while opposition parties say they will continue the motion even if Key loses the seat of power in that time.

Currently, New Zealand’s flag consists of the Union Jack in the top left corner and the Southern Cross constellation. People in favor of the change argue that the current flag is too similar to neighboring country Australia’s and that it reflects a British dominance that is a thing of the past.

The motion does have its opponents as well, with military personal and a good portion of the populous arguing that any change of the flag would mean denying the country’s history. Most people don’t oppose a change but think that the black background and silver fern is not the appropriate symbol as it resembles a pirate ensign.

Most New Zealanders also argue that the Maori indigenous population should be represented in any new flag design.

Posted by James Fried on Thursday March 13 2014, 5:16 AM EST. Ref: dailymail. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0