Let's have a flag poll

[Alan Johnson]

I have no problem with our current flag but I don't object to changing the flag in principle. However, as others have said, there are far more important things to be worrying about/spending money on.

But beyond monetary considerations and the possibility that this is a giant smokescreen, the top four designs appear to me - bearing in mind I'm not an artist or designer - to have completely ignored the basic and implicit principles of flag design. The coloured fern ones (the koru isn't worth discussing) look cluttered and ungainly with no sense of symmetry. The fern (the f**king fern) is just plonked on an angle and cuts off one side of the flag from the other, in my view making the flag look unbalanced and like the lower section is hanging limply off the upper part - like a reattached limb. Also black and blue together looks shit.

The whole thing is a f**king disaster and makes me cringe. At least the current flag has some dignity.

 

[vvvrulz]

bearing in mind I'm not an artist or designer - to have completely ignored the basic and implicit principles of flag design. The coloured fern ones (the koru isn't worth discussing) look cluttered and ungainly with no sense of symmetry. The fern (the f**king fern) is just plonked on an angle and cuts off one side of the flag from the other, in my view making the flag look unbalanced and like the lower section is hanging limply off the upper part - like a reattached limb. Also black and blue together looks shit.

The whole thing is a f**king disaster and makes me cringe. At least the current flag has some dignity.

As a non-artist or designer you still nailed it, I'm no designer either but all four of them looked really tacky and average. I'd expect that out of high schoolers having a crack at it, makes me cringe to think that professional designers would have got paid big bucks and that's the best that came out.

 

[Benek]

I AM a designer, and you're all right, they are shit. That Red Peak one looks like a real flag. I'd vote for it in a heartbeat.

 

[JJ]

Glad to hear that - I have no expertise whatsoever, but they all looked like mediocre high school projects to me - nobody seems to have looked at what are generally acknowledged as great flags for design tips

I see no great reason to change, but if there was an option that spoke to me I'd happily vote for it - any of those would just be plain embarrassing

FFS - at least make the fern look like a fern!!

 

[TheDalek079]

I'll probably vote for a change, but am just happy that we get a debate on the matter as I'm not sure it accurately represents New Zealanders as a whole. on fb a few weeks back a friend had shared some silly poem which was on simon gault's page. one part of it was something like "its for the Welsh, Irish, Scottish and English....." and there was no mention of Maori or others, and it's quite depressing that there's something for the Scots on our flags but nothing for our indigenous peoples.\

then some loser wrote into the herald today, trying to say that the southern cross is for the maoris and the union jack represents the Brits, whose hard work and sacrifice made this country wealthy. As if stealing maori land counts as hard work :lol:

If we consider the Treaty/te Tiriti as an agreement between two peoples then its a shame that only one of them gets represented on the flag, and nothing for any other migrants either. That's why those two fern+cross flags are appealing to me - no ethnic group is unfairly represented above the others. We have the southern cross to show our place in the world, and everybody should be able to identify with the fern

 

[TheDMC]

The really crap thing is the referendum will ask you to vote yes or no for a change, and if yes then which of the four options.

But of course the below won't be on the referendum:

"Tick yes if you support a flag change but think the four options are an appalling shite selection and should be binned."

 

[TheDMC]

I'll probably vote for a change, but am just happy that we get a debate on the matter as I'm not sure it accurately represents New Zealanders as a whole. on fb a few weeks back a friend had shared some silly poem which was on simon gault's page. one part of it was something like "its for the Welsh, Irish, Scottish and English....." and there was no mention of Maori or others, and it's quite depressing that there's something for the Scots on our flags but nothing for our indigenous peoples.\

then some loser wrote into the herald today, trying to say that the southern cross is for the maoris and the union jack represents the Brits, whose hard work and sacrifice made this country wealthy. As if stealing maori land counts as hard work :lol:

If we consider the Treaty/te Tiriti as an agreement between two peoples then its a shame that only one of them gets represented on the flag, and nothing for any other migrants either. That's why those two fern+cross flags are appealing to me - no ethnic group is unfairly represented above the others. We have the southern cross to show our place in the world, and everybody should be able to identify with the fern

You could perhaps argue the southern cross has indigenous meaning...it was an important navigational aid and has lots of different meanings for them. But yeah your basically right.

Designing a new flag should begin with the premise of get rid of the Union Jack and design something that a) looks good on a flag b) represents shared cultural values and/or geographic/biodiversity values of modern day NZ. Or something like that. f**k knows what they were looking for...

 

[Blair]

The really crap thing is the referendum will ask you to vote yes or no for a change, and if yes then which of the four options.

But of course the below won't be on the referendum:

"Tick yes if you support a flag change but think the four options are an appalling shite selection and should be binned."

I'm sure the referendum is in two parts (or separate referendums): 1. Which of those four flags is the best? 2. Which is going to be the NZ flag (between the winner of the first referendum and the current NZ flag)?

I never warmed to, or felt connected to, the current flag. Even as a kid. It seemed a flag from someone else's country.

 

[Mr Angry]

Came across some golf...is Danny Lee a kiwi? Matt Jones an Australian? Hard to make out...can pick the others...they just have little flags....ours look the same....Little Britain ..

 

[TheDMC]

Yep...aussie and kiwi flags are way way too similar. And the union jack needs to go...think that is a given.

 

[Iron Lion]

They have you arguing to change the flag or have more options for a flag change

They have our greatest athletes on newspaper covers calling for a new flag, if McCaw and McCullum wants it why wouldn't you?

They have you arguing to let more refugees into the country from the worlds greatest terrorist nation

hmmmmmm ..........things that make you go.........hmmmmmmmmm what are you powers up to?

 

[Blair]

According to Stuff the NZ parliament has just now officially added the red peak option.

Looks like a sign that they acknowledge how flat the debate has become.

 

[Rich102]

I have heard that the "Red Peak" flag is identical to an American company's logo.
Anyone know which company?

 

[Rich102]

Found it!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/719...milar-to-North-Carolina-engineering-firm-logo

Let's at least have something original.
Maybe golden arches?

 

[jaseg]

Chevron positioning is different and one of the sections is the wrong colour, but yeah, similar. Probably hard to hit both great design and complete originality. It's still the best option (now) on the list.. by a distance IMO. But then, I'd be happy enough with the current flag minus the Union Jack, perhaps with the Southern Cross positioned centrally a little more.