Changing the flag?

[color=blue:9c51f3b4e8]From The New Zealand Outlook[/color:9c51f3b4e8]

[size=18:9c51f3b4e8]NZ flag change campaign dropped[/size:9c51f3b4e8]

A GROUP campaigning to change the New Zealand flag has dumped its petition for a referendum - and has blamed apathy for the failure. NZFlag.com Trust chairman Lloyd Morrison said assembling a network of volunteers to collect 270,000 signatures by October to force a referendum had proved too big a challenge.

"We simply failed to get petition forms in front of New Zealanders. Apathy was the winner again," the Wellington businessman said.

Only 100,000 signatures had been collected and it had become clear the required number would not be reached by October. Despite opinion polls showing support of 40 per cent to 60 per cent for a change in New Zealand's flag design in the past 18 months, the push for distribution of petition forms had been dealt harsh blows, Mr Morrison said. Telecom and New Zealand Post backed out of a controversial plan to post the petition to 1.4 million households, reportedly after negative feedback from shareholders and customers.

That decision had finally made the campaign untenable. However, the campaign had made people consider issues of national identity. Mr Morrison said the issue would not go away, and New Zealanders would one day choose a flag that represented New Zealand "for both its past and our hopes for its future".

Campaigners had wanted the present New Zealand flag, adopted in 1902, changed because they said it was rooted in the country's colonial past and was too easily confused with the Australian flag. The petition for a referendum was officially launched in January, with Mr Morrison proposing a stylised silver fern in white on a black background.

Bit of a sad day for NZ there unfortunately. They could do with a newer identity. Mind you the designs they had were rubbish!! Who puts a plant on a flag??? Oh Canada DOH!!!

You have something against plants, Craig :012: ? The proposed silver fern designs was awful - looked like a corporate logo. I'm surprised they didn't consider a Maori design to be at least part of the flag.

Selchie,

Why do you keep calling Stevey, Craig? Is Stevey really Craig too? How many alter-egos can one man have?!

Schizophrenic!! I knew it![img:93265878c2]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/spezial/Fool/iq.gif[/img:93265878c2] Quick, he needs help! [img:93265878c2]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/spezial/Fool/pop.gif[/img:93265878c2]

I used to be schizophrenic..

So did I..

[img:04528f4e83]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/spezial/Fool/bam.gif[/img:04528f4e83]

lol there were maori designs considered those hideous wave thingies were supposed to incorporate maori heritage, wern't they.

Yes I hate plants they're starving good people from wooden furniture!!!

[quote:de36510599="Taffy"]Why do you keep calling Stevey, Craig? Is Stevey really Craig too? How many alter-egos can one man have?![/quote:de36510599]I'm just confused. Sorry, Craig. ...Oh, and sorry to Stevey, too :icon_wink:.

Boy, first Stevey disses the Feng Shui spirits, and now the plants! And I thought [u:de36510599]I[/u:de36510599] was a cranky person ! :icon_razz:

I didn't diss the feng shui spirits, there are none, it all baby bulls with an 'o'.

I'm not Stevey i'm bryan!!