New Zealand votes to keep its current flag

[Kiwiken]

26 million...might buy 20 houses in a middle class Auckland suburb?

It's less than a small Ministry's policy advice fees.

MSD spends over $75 million on such "advice" each year, a flag referendum's worth every 4 months

in the context of the annual expenditure of the New Zealand Government it is a miniscule amount.

The 2015 Budget sets out $88.9 billion in Government spending for the coming financial year. The money spent on the flag referendum will account for about 0.0029 per cent of this budget.

So what else does $26 million get the tax-payer? Here are a few examples of similar expenses in the 2015/16 Budget:

*$26.8 million for development of Central City anchor projects for the Christchurch rebuild

*$27 million for the Crown's contribution to regional pest management

*$27.1 million for policy advice to the Ministry of Primary Industries

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/the-flag-debate/74003348/flag-referendum-where-does-the-26-million-go

Perhaps in Jafa land on 20 houses in Christchurch middle income parts 52 houses. In newer suburbs perhaps 130 houses but that is families not living in garages or caravans. 26 million may not seem much but is a lot of treatment of cancer sufferes who are told there is no money for treatment. Or for Students who,s classrooms are crammed and cannot get extra funding. Priorities not luxuries. A Nation is not wealthy by its flag or its richest but by how it looks after is most needy.

[Roadman]

If showed we are not mature enough politically when we can not separate childish behaviors like "I don't like a leader of a political party" and "a waste of money" out from national identity. Labour and the other far left loonies also had the same flag referendums on their last election mandates and there would be more than $26m at least monthly wasted each and every month in this country from benefit rip offs and under the table non taxed odd job payments alone let alone some of the other wasted referendums that Labour have pushed through or the hundreds of millions the looney left wiped off assets sales in one short swoop at the last election with their political childish behavior that those same ones now crying a waste of $26m conveniently overlook. We deserve to be stuck with another group of countries identity over riding our own until we can show the same maturity in the voting process as we do in so many other fields of endeavor.

The positives we who want change can take are unlike all others countries we are the only one that have followed a democratic process for the people to our national identity. And the bigger gain is those of us who do not see ourselves as British colonials now have a flag of our own. And mine is flying as proudly this morning as it has been for the last six months and will continue to do here at home.

[tigermoth]

I am glad they kept our original flag. None of the alternatives were right. The one that was the final choice was like everyone said, a beach towel. The most crude aspect of it was the black portion above the fern. Although our national sporting team colour is black there is no need to force it onto our flag. I believe it would have been far more sophisticated to have the blue colour over the entire flag representing the Pacific. The four stars retained as it has and then perhaps more thought put into the silver fern. There are other options, definitely the kiwi which is known all over the world and expats like myself are more oftent called a kiwi wherever we go, but something representing the Maori heritage such as the tiki.

[Cats4ever]

I was at the war cemetery in Kanchanaburi earlier this year and many of the Kiwi graves had the N.Z. flag by them. More than any other nationalities really.

They looked good, distinguished. You could tell those people cared. Poignant.

Not a Kiwi so my opinion insignificant but I am happy they kept it as is.

This might be a case of flags getting mixed up. See the following quote

Most of New Zealand's Second World War POWs were captured in the European theatre in the early stages of the war. Only about 100 New Zealand servicemen fell into Japanese hands, mainly airmen or seamen attached to the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force. A mere 26 soldiers (mostly coastwatchers) became POWs in the Pacific theatre; only seven of these men survived their captivity.

Not sure how many of the aggregated 126 made it to the railway. Most of the Kiwi effort was in North Africa and then Italy.

[uptheos]

Just like the Aussies, they just can't bring themselves to break ties with the UK

Union Jack - UK rules OK?

[uthaithanirules]

Disappointing

Except for the red stars, looks just like the Aussie flag

Dont worry, Australia will change its flag soon, to one with a red background, one big yellow star and four little yellow ones

[uptheos]

Disappointing

Except for the red stars, looks just like the Aussie flag

Dont worry, Australia will change its flag soon, to one with a red background, one big yellow star and four little yellow ones

Never, they will always keep the monarchy (they love them to bits) and therefore the Union Jack.

I don't know if there would be room for a bottle of Chang.