New Zealand flag change: poll shows little hope for new design as voting ends

(THE GUARDIAN)ThecurrentNewZealandflag(right)fluttersnexttotheproposednewflag(left)inWellington.VotingtodecidewhethertochangetheflagclosesonThursday.Photograph:MartyMelville/AFP/GettyImages

NewZealandisonthecuspofdecidingwhethertochangeitsflag,nearlyayearaftertheprocessbegan–andpollsindicatetheresultwillbeanticlimactic.

Votershavebeenaskedtodecidebetweenthecurrentflagandablackandbluedesignwithasilverfernbypostalreferendum.

VotingclosesonThursday,withpreliminaryresultsexpectedtobeannouncedatabout8.30pmlocaltime.TheofficialresultisunlikelytodifferbutwillbeconfirmedthefollowingWednesday.

Thepreferredalternativedesign,byMelbourne-basedNewZealanderKyleLockwood,waschosenfromfiveoptionslastyearinthefirstpostalreferendum.Turnoutwas48.78%ofeligiblevoters.

AsofWednesday16March,twoweeksaftervotinginthesecondreferendumopened,approximately1.6millionpapershadbeenreceivedbytheElectoralCommission–morethanthetotalnumberreceivedinthefirst.

Theprimeminister,JohnKey,theleaderoftheNationalpartynowinitsthirdtermofgovernment,hasbeenvocalinhissupportforachangeofflag.Hefirstfloatedtheideainearly2014toamixedreception.

TheprocessgotunderwayinearnestinMaylastyear,withtheappointmentofa12-person“flagconsiderationpanel”andanappealforpublicsubmissionsofdesigns,andisestimatedtohavecostNZ$26m.

Thepotentialnewflaghasbeenflownatmorethan250sitesacrossthecountrysincelateJanuary,tohelpvotersreachadecision.

ButaccordingtoatelephonesurveyundertakeninthelastweekofFebruary,almosttwo-thirdsofNewZealanderswanttomaintainthestatusquo,with59%agreeingtheissuehadbeen“adistractionandawasteofmoney”,andthatvotingforthecurrentflagwould“sendJohnKeyamessage”.

Thirty-twopercentofrespondentswereinfavourofchangeand9%unsure.TwentypercentagreedwithanewflaginprinciplebutdidnotlikeLockwood’sdesign.

AnupdatetothesurveypublishedlastweekshowedthatyoungerNewZealanderswerekeenesttoretaintheflag.Resultsweresplitbypoliticalaffiliation,with“anarrowmajorityofNationalvoters”intendingtovoteforchange“butbigmajoritiesofothervoters”infavourofretention.

Thetotalcostsofrollingoutanewflagifthevotecallsforachangeremainunclear.

Thefinanceminister,BillEnglish,saidlastweekitwas“hardtosay”howmuchitwouldcosttoupdateofficialmaterialsuchaspoliceuniforms,driver’slicensesandnavyships.

“There’sbeensomeworkdoneonit,[but]wehaven’tgoneintohugedetail,”hetoldNewshub.

Theonlyconcretefigurehewasabletoprovidewas$2.7mtoreplaceabout1,500flagsongovernmentbuildingsandtoupdatedefenceforceuniforms(excludingnewbadges,lapelpinsandpennantsforofficialvehicles).

IftheapparentlyunlikelyeventthatLockwood’sdesignisvotedin,itwilltakeeffectinaboutsixmonths’time.