NZ flag vote to be held after election
Source: New Zealand Herald
New Zealanders will vote on whether New Zealand gets a new flag during the next Parliamentary term, Prime Minister John Key announced this morning.
Mr Key said in a speech at Victoria University that the design of the current flag symbolised a colonial and post-colonial era whose time has passed.
"I am proposing that we take one more step in the evolution of a modern New Zealand by acknowledging out independence through a flag," he said.
A cross-party group of MPs would be formed to recommend the best referenda process and an independent steering group would ensure that the public was consulted and was able to contribute design ideas.
Read more: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11217658
Current NZ flag:
And will NZ make Lorde's "Royals" the new national anthem?
It don't run in our blood
That kind of lux just ain't for us, we crave a different kind of buzz
= new reply since forum marked as read
and suspect her reaction will be the same as your friend. Still, I'd like to see whatever design they use to have the Kiwi bird on it, and maybe a cross-section of the kiwi fruit 
but I will let you know when I do 
But I don't think they'd use that
It is however their country and they should do as they feel fit.
Fern on black referred to is here :
the ferns over there are trees, and I've seen whole forests of them covering the hills. It's like a prehistoric landscape sometimes... 
with the fern and the Southern Cross. 
The "Rules" are simple:
1. Distinctive from other flags, so confusion is hard
2. Simple enough for Preschoolers to draw.
The Fern is simple, the stars are simple and it is distinctive,
The same can be said of the present flag, the British Union Jack in the left hand corner is just a series of crosses over lapping each other. The Southern Cross, while not quite a true cross (Which would be simple for a preschooler to draw), is close enough for preschoolers to come close to.
Complex flags should be avoided, many a US state flag is just the State Seal on cloth. It is something HARD to draw if you were an adult, let alone a preschooler. Example of such "bad" Flags, I would show more then these two, but these two are enough to show why they are bad, as are the flags of the states NOT mentioned below:
http://www.50states.com/flag/nyflag.htm#.Ux9zZT9dU7k
My home state of Pennsylvania is just as bad:
http://www.50states.com/flag/paflag.htm#.Ux9zlT9dU7k
Now, I would like to blame the legislatures of both states (and they are NOT blameless) but most State Flags were invented for the 1892 Chicago World's Fair. The Fair decided to fly all the Flags of the States, but found out most states did NOT have a flag. Thus the Fair "invented" the flag for each state by posting the state Seal on Cloth. Many states subsequently or previous to the Fair adopted what had been invented for them.
Some states flags are complex for they want to do to much in a flag and forget the KISS rule KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID. The center of the flag is to complex for preschooler to remember and draw and thus it makes a bad flag:
They are exceptions to rule, some other State flags that are actually good:
Ohio adopted its in 1902, through it is a "pennet" not a flag (Flags are square or rectangle, Pennets were used by the cavalry and thus swallowtailed).
Tennessee's state flag is a simple three stars in a circle:
As does Arizona:
And Alaska:
California flag is another example of a good flag, just a bear and a star:
Arkansas has another simple flag (Thorugh like California puts its name on the flag and that should be avoided, but rarely does having a name on a flag remove it from the list of great flags):
New Mexcio has a very simple flag, including symbolism for Native Americans (for caparison look at Oklamhoma's flag, also has symbolism for Native Americans but to complex and details to be on a flag for most preschoolers can NOT draw something that complex).
Texas had been an independent country before it was annexed, thus had a good flag and retained it after 1845 and annexation by the US:
Hawaii had the same distinction being the same Flag flown when it was the kingdom of Hawaii:
Alabama's flag is a simple cross, much like the Confederate Battle flay but without the Stars and having a red cross on a white background:
Maryland's flag is complex in one way, it consists of four patterns, but each pattern itself is simple:
I do like Rhode Island's flag a simple anchor and stars on a white background:
Indiana is another flag that appears to be complex, but is quite simple when you look at each element in it:
With some minor changes the following would be good flags:
Wyoming, just take out the State seal, the Buffalo outline is a great symbol:
Some State flag just need simplication, for example South Caroline, switch to a flat relief of a palmetto tree (like Wyoming's Buffalo) instead of a more 3D verison used today:
Missouri is another state with a close to good flag, get rid of the State Seal and replace it with the St Louis Arch and you have a great flag, but right now it is a very poor flag do to having the state seal on the flag:
Georgia has a good flag, but get rid of the what appears to be a simplified state seal it would be a good flag (I have advocated that Geogia adopt a flag with silhouettes of James Oglethorpe and Martin Luther King with a slogan of :Georgia, the land of Dreams" would be a unique and easy to identified flag even if the Confederate flag is added to its upper left corner, but instead we have this simple and complex flag (a compromise that no one hated and thus adopted):
Now some state have Good Flags, but fail in being a symbol for everyone in the State, Mississippi State Flag shows this, African American hate the Confederate Battle Flag but it is place of honor, the upper left corner, of that state's flag. If you get around what the Battle Flag represents to African Americans, it is great flag except up to 40% of the State (the African Americans in Mississippi) hate that flag:
Florida has a flag, if they just get rid of the State Seal in the middle and replace it with something else (an orange for example) would become a great flag:
List of States Flags, Flowers and other items:
http://www.50states.com/flag/#.Ux99Wj9dU7n
That must kind of irk the Kiwis.
NZ:
Oz:
