Up the poll: Voting under way in five-way fight over New Zealand flag design

Voting has begun in a poll to identify a new flag for New Zealand. Five new designs are in the running as the government seeks to retire the union symbol from its national flag. Three of the short-listed flags feature silver ferns, one has the Maori koru design and the fifth and latest addition is the Red Peak design. Voting is being held via postal referendum which will continue until 11 December.

You have to wait until you get to a one-on-one debate, that’s when people will engage.

Prime minister John Key

Plans are to send out 3.1 million voting papers across the country. While prime minister John Key continues to champion a more modern representation of New Zealand on its national flag, many of his countrymen Kiwis prefer to keep the status quo with its nod to Empire. Versions of all five new designs along with the current design have been hoisted at several locations to give voters a better idea of what the new designs will look like. The official result of the first referendum will be announced on 15 December. In March 2016 the winning entry will be pitted against the current flag design in a final round of voting.

They’ve got all these flags out in front of the schools and will tell the children to pick that one. But I want to tell them the history of this [current flag].

Traditional flag supporter Madeline McGilvray

World new zealand flag