I have a member's bill that would lead to a public debate on what New Zealand's flag should be.

The New Zealand Flag Bill creates a Commission, which must spend 18 months seeking wide public input into the question of whether we should adopt a new national flag.  The Commission would be appointed by the Prime Minister after consulting all party leaders in Parliament.  As part of its functions, it would hold a nationwide competition for new flag designs, ranking the three that best reflect New Zealand's national identity, aspirations, culture and heritage.
 
Under my bill, a referendum would then be held, in which all voters would have the opportunity to say whether they wanted to retain the current flag, or adopt one of the three designs arising from the public competition. 
 
I think it is timely to have a debate about New Zealand's flag.  That debate should be properly resourced, involve widespread consultation, and be respectful.  Only a publicly-funded and run process can hope to ensure these three outcomes.  I hope the bill receives support across the Parliament.

If you would like to know more on the bill, you can email me This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it