Should New Zealand change its flag or its Prime Minister?
The Asker Trilogy, Highway America, The New Zealand Tour Commentary, The Life and Times of Freddie Fuddpucker
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
CHANGING THE FLAG
New Zealand’s flag debate steps up a notch
with the first vote
The United Tribes flag of New Zealand 1835-1840 |
The campaign to change the New Zealand flag
started after the end of World War II, with Labour Prime Minister Peter Fraser
leading the charge as New Zealand independence approached. But Fraser’s
government was defeated in 1949 and the flag debate waxed and waned over the
following decades.
Following full independence in 1947, the
British Government lost the right to create laws for New Zealand, and New
Zealanders lost their British citizenship. Only New Zealanders with a
grandfather born in the UK could then have free access to work and live in the
UK.
In the 1970’s, with the United Kingdom’s entry
to the European Union and the loss of preferred trading arrangements, the flag
campaign moved into a higher gear with some opinion polls showing a majority in
favour of change.
Proponents of change wanted a flag that was
distinctly New Zealand rather than a British inspired variation of the
Australian flag. As immigration patterns changed and Maori became recognised as
being entitled to equal rights, the proponents wanted a flag that would honour
all ethnic groups.
The British Union flag was the official flag for New Zealand from 1840-1902 |
The distinctive silver fern leaf, worn by
sporting teams and soldiers since the late 1800’s, was New Zealand’s best known
emblem. Other emblems included the native flightless kiwi bird and the koru
(loop) representing an unfurling new frond on a silver fern, and the tiki (a
grotesque humanoid carving) representing the first Maori man and woman.
All of New Zealand’s better known emblems have
appeared at some time on the country’s banknotes and coinage, but never on the national
flag. Pride of place on the flag has always been reserved for the Union jack,
itself a merger of the flags of England, Scotland and Ireland, but not of Wales
or any of the colonies. It has been very much a case of they can exclude us but
we must not exclude them. Some New Zealanders regard that acquiescence as
grovelling.
The loss of British citizenship and access for
New Zealand produce was a significant upheaval for many New Zealanders that
ultimately led to a major restructuring of industry and the New Zealand economy
in the 1980’s and 90’s in changes referred to as Rogernomics, after Minister of
Finance, Roger Douglas who initiated the reforms. This added fuel to the fire
of the flag reformers, who questioned the appropriateness of keeping the
British flag in the top corner of the former colony’s flag.
New Zealand's third official flag was used occasionally from 1867-1869 |
As the debate intensified, the two largest
political parties promised during the 2014 election campaign a vote on the flag.
Early in 2015 a non-partisan parliamentary committee laid down the process
which included appointing the Flag Consideration Panel to seek public input and
consider alternative flag designs. As the process got under way, the Labour
Party, while still part of the committee, started distancing itself from the
process to score political points. Entrenched opponents of change saw Labour’s
phoney reluctance as a chance to isolate National Party Prime Minister John Key
as a manipulator and glory seeker. Labour has come close to derailing the flag
process, but has gained nothing politically from opinion polls.
As the first vote for a single alternative
design drew near, pro-change and pro-old flag contestants became divided more
along party lines, even though it has been a cross-party process with only one
small party not joining the parliamentary flag committee.
The current flag was adopted in 1902 and is New Zealand's fourth flag |
The Panel received 10,300 designs which they
narrowed down to a short list of 40 and then a final list of four. But uproar
followed with many claiming that the Prime Minister had overridden the Panel
and that a design known as Red Peak should have been included. Some opponents
of change seized on the opportunity to fight for Red Peak, seeing it as having
little chance if pitted against the existing flag, and thereby frustrating the
process. Finally, Parliament emended the legislation to include Red Peak at a
cost of $260,000, but it was eliminated early by the voters in the preferential
system used in the first referendum. Many people saw that as confirmation that
the Panel had correctly excluded Red Peak from the final short list.
MORE:Votes for Women
The New Zealand Tour Commentary
New Zealand Independence
New Zealand Protests
The pro-old flag lobby have raised many
frivolous objections to changing the flag, too many to go into in this post,
but watch for future posts as the debate continues in the run-up to the final
one-on-one vote in March 2016. Meanwhile, I’ve penned a couple of verses to sum
up the flag situation in New Zealand.
The Cross-Roads in the Corner
Our flag bears a lost empire’s cross-roads in the corner
There on the instructions of our 1902 colonial masters.
In 1907 they said, on your own, cow-cockies Downunder
Oh, no. We said. Who would buy our butter?
But, the Statute of Westminster will set you free.
But freedom will not sell our wool, mutton or beef.
We want to keep the flag with lost cross-roads in the corner.
There on the instructions of our 1902 colonial masters.
In 1907 they said, on your own, cow-cockies Downunder
Oh, no. We said. Who would buy our butter?
But, the Statute of Westminster will set you free.
But freedom will not sell our wool, mutton or beef.
We want to keep the flag with lost cross-roads in the corner.
When 1914 came round, they said, Forget all that. We’re at
war.
Send us a generation of able-bodied and fit young men
Send us your butter and meat by the shipload too
And when the boys are lying dead in foreign fields of mud
Tell the widows and the mothers and the little children
That they died honourably defending their flag
The flag with the lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
Another generation and another war to end all wars
Conscription again to force youth to fight, that was the law
They took our produce and essentials, Kiwi kids went without
Another eleven thousand Kiwis died, supposedly for the flag
The flag with the lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
In 1947, we finally, reluctantly and quietly became independent
But we kept the old colonial flag to remain near to the Old Country
And we kept the old colonial flag to glorify all the wars past
The flag with the lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
1973, and our former colonial masters gave us the greatest shove ever
With the stroke of a pen, they joined Europe and said, Kiwis go to hell
And take your old colonial rag and shove it where the sun don’t shine
The flag you love so much, with the lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
But a campaign was growing to run up a real New Zealand flag
A flag that would look to the future with confidence, hope and pride
A flag that would bury forever our bloody colonial past
A flag that would recognise and honour all our ethnic groups
A flag that champions would wear on their uniforms with pride
A flag that the whole world would identify with New Zealand
A flag that would fly our famous emblem, the beautiful, unique silver fern
And not the flag with the sad lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
Send us a generation of able-bodied and fit young men
Send us your butter and meat by the shipload too
And when the boys are lying dead in foreign fields of mud
Tell the widows and the mothers and the little children
That they died honourably defending their flag
The flag with the lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
Another generation and another war to end all wars
Conscription again to force youth to fight, that was the law
They took our produce and essentials, Kiwi kids went without
Another eleven thousand Kiwis died, supposedly for the flag
The flag with the lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
In 1947, we finally, reluctantly and quietly became independent
But we kept the old colonial flag to remain near to the Old Country
And we kept the old colonial flag to glorify all the wars past
The flag with the lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
1973, and our former colonial masters gave us the greatest shove ever
With the stroke of a pen, they joined Europe and said, Kiwis go to hell
And take your old colonial rag and shove it where the sun don’t shine
The flag you love so much, with the lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
But a campaign was growing to run up a real New Zealand flag
A flag that would look to the future with confidence, hope and pride
A flag that would bury forever our bloody colonial past
A flag that would recognise and honour all our ethnic groups
A flag that champions would wear on their uniforms with pride
A flag that the whole world would identify with New Zealand
A flag that would fly our famous emblem, the beautiful, unique silver fern
And not the flag with the sad lost empire cross-roads in the corner.
In the first vote two of the five alternatives were separated
by just 1% with the flag known as the Silver Fern Black White and Blue just
edging out the Silver Fern Red White and Blue, both designed by Kyle Lockwood
in 2005. The other three flags didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell and
collected only a handful of votes.
The five short-listed flags in the 2015 referendum |
After a vigorous campaign on social media to frustrate the
vote, and protest at the government spending $26 million on the flag
referendums, by casting informal votes, the campaign failed with less than 10%
of the votes being informal.
Meanwhile, the campaign steps up a notch with many prominent
New Zealanders declaring their position, mostly in favour of change. With the
masses it is the other way around with about 60% (down from 80% earlier) to
about 40% in favour of change.
Continued below . . .
Continued below . . .
Peter's Books |
Flag makers have been busy and most of the sales have been for
copies of the current flag, itself a turn-around from earlier times when few
flags flew from private flagpoles. But now that a single alternative flag has
been selected by the voters from five finalists, the flag makers will be extra
busy as new orders roll in for the challenger.
The Round 1 winner is the black and blue silver fern flag |
One thing is certain in the little land Downunder, flagapathy
has flown out the window, and a distinctively new New Zealand flag could fly
in.
CHANGING THE FLAG
It's got something old
And something new
A little of our famous black
With the same old blue
A Southern Cross bright
A silver fern just right
Our new New Zealand flag
Footnote:
The result of the referendum was 56% in favour of the old flag and 44% for the new flag. For many people the campaign to change New Zealand's flag is continuing and the silver fern flag can be seen flying from many flagpoles.
CHANGING THE FLAG
It's got something old
And something new
A little of our famous black
With the same old blue
A Southern Cross bright
A silver fern just right
Our new New Zealand flag
Footnote:
The result of the referendum was 56% in favour of the old flag and 44% for the new flag. For many people the campaign to change New Zealand's flag is continuing and the silver fern flag can be seen flying from many flagpoles.
A Southern Cross
bright
A silver fern just right
Our new New Zealand flag.
A Southern Cross bright
A silver fern just right
Our new New Zealand flag.
A silver fern just right
Our new New Zealand flag.
A Southern Cross bright
A silver fern just right
Our new New Zealand flag.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
AN ISLAND FOR SALE
No-one watches over
Watchman’s Island
At about that time someone interested
in buying the island failed in his quest because he was unable to find an owner
who could sell it to him. The island was ownerless.
Watchman’s Island
It sits just 600 meters from the
shore in Auckland, New Zealand’s Waitemata Harbour and no-one owns it or
administers it. Auckland is experiencing an unprecedented housing boom, but
no-one has yet applied for a building permit for Watchman’s Island.
In any of the nearby suburbs, finding a house priced at less than a
million dollars is like looking for a needle in a haystack. But Watchman’s
Island remains uninhabited.
Watchman's Island, Auckland, New Zealand |
The state of affairs on Watchman’s
Island is really quite remarkable (the words ‘state of affairs’ should not be
taken as meaning an independent state that encourages affairs with other
people’s spouses, even though there is a single shade tree ample for the
purpose). What is remarkable about the island is that it is really prime real
estate with excellent sea views, a private sandy beach, quiet neighbors, and no
taxes.
Although never permanently inhabited,
Watchman’s Island has an interesting history.
It first appeared on a British
Admiralty chart in 1857 as Sentinel Rock. No-one knows why it was called
Sentinel Rock, but it appears to have been given a name change in the 1970s
when an Auckland journalist wrote a weekly report on New Zealand goings–on, as
seen from ‘Watchman’s Island’ and the name stuck.
The New Zealand Tour Commentary |
All government departments and local
government denied responsibility for Watchman’s Island. Officially, it does not
exist. But the island certainly does exist and is clearly visible from the
shore and to traffic crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge and it seemed that
anyone who wanted the island could have it for the taking. As Watchman’s has no
defence force, a full-scale invasion could be mounted successfully from a
single row-boat.
In spite of the island’s zero
population it has a thriving yacht club. In the 1990s some radio-control
yachting enthusiasts formed the Watchman’s Island Yacht Club. They sailed their
miniature yachts briefly from the island but found it to be too hard going
without a suitable marina and all the other facilities that old salts enjoy at
the end of a hard day’s sailing.
In 2005 the island was briefly
inhabited by a crouching Adidas metal figure promoting the British Lions’ rugby
tour of New Zealand. But the figure was soon toppled by a saboteur on the
grounds that it was culturally insensitive and the island was once again
uninhabited.
Watchman’s Island was next in the
news when an agent for a local realty company had a sign erected on the island
advertising it for sale. No information is available about a sale price, or
prospective buyers, and the sign has since been taken down or washed away.
Meanwhile, the island has not applied for a building permit, or United
Nations membership.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
A UN ROAD TRAFFIC AGENCY
Meanwhile, governments do little and the United Nations does even less
The United Nations was founded in 1945 by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.
This year the UN, now with a membership of 193, is celebrating 70 years of progress and achievements. The world body has expanded to include 17 major agencies covering many aspects of the daily lives of billions of people worldwide. The UN is often criticised for its failures, and there have been many, but the UN is also the world’s greatest ever political and humanitarian success story. This is often overlooked by critics.
As the celebrations wind up, the UN should be resolving to include among its agencies, by the time of the 75th anniversary celebrations, an international road traffic organisation dedicated to reducing death and injury from traffic accidents worldwide.
Many UN agencies have come in for severe criticism over the years and in some cases the UN may have failed, but the bulk of the criticism comes from a lack of understanding, suspicion and from people with extremist political and economic views. But without the UN the world would be a poorer and more violent place.
However, there is no UN organization dedicated to saving lives on the world’s highways, even though over a million people are killed every year, scores of millions more are seriously injured, and the cost to society is astronomical. The United Nations leaves it to national governments to do their own thing and almost all fail dismally. It is time for the world body to establish an organization that can bring uniformity, standards and targets to a global campaign for road safety
Although there are currently several non-UN organizations that have been established for transport and traffic, most represent commercial interests.
However, the United Nations Economic and Social Council was responsible for the 1968 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, a treaty intending to establish standard traffic rules, but only 73 countries have ratified the treaty. In addition, the Council set up the Convention on Road Signs and Signals, but only 15 states ratified that treaty. There was also the earlier 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which dealt mainly with International Driving Permits, ratified by only 95 states, and generally regarded as a failure.
An International Road Traffic Organization could have more clout if it was a separate UN body, independent of the UN Economic and Social Council.
The Organization could set target dates for member states to adopt standards for driver training, testing and licensing. Instead of having a national license and an optional, but worthless, International Driving Permit, all licenses would be classed as international, but containing an endorsement for left or right side driving. Data sharing could prevent suspended drivers from driving in other states.
A target date for achieving uniform traffic rules and signs could be set, including a target for adopting metric measurements, rules, symbols and signs.
Commercial drivers currently have their driving time restricted in some states, but not in others. Amateur drivers can do as they please everywhere. A worldwide body could establish uniform driving time limitations for all.
Vehicle design standards vary from country to country, and currently many countries do not require periodic vehicle inspections. The Organization could greatly increase vehicle safety. The practice of disposing of unsafe vehicles in countries with lower standards, or no standards, could end.
Continued below . . .
The mandatory installation of GPS tracking, vehicle data recording and access limiting technology could have many benefits including improved road safety and lower insurance costs.
In this world of increasing international mobility, it is going to be vital to plan for even greater mobility in the years ahead and to adopt rules that will be understood and accepted everywhere. Wherever a person drives in the world, he or she should be able to do so confident that the rules are the same, and that other drivers will also be driving to the same rules.
Universal rules for flying and shipping, with few exceptions, have applied for many years and work well. It is time for motorists and their passengers to expect no less. It is time for the United Nations to take the lead.
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