KEY POINTS:
What flag should be flown on the Auckland Harbour Bridge for Waitangi Day? Transit rejected a proposal to fly the Maori flag. This has led to a wide debate about the issue of a national flag.
How do you think we should celebrate Waitangi Day? Is it time for the country to have a new flag? Should we be flying flags of other countries on the bridge?
Should the request be granted?
Send us your views
>> Read Brian Rudman's view
Here is the latest selection of your views:
Renae
As a decendent of Both Maori and Pakeha, I would feel proud to have both flags flying! Transit grow up and get over it! The Tino Rangatiratanga flag is not only a flag but is a national icon to many. I am ashamed and embarrassed for Transit that they do not allow this to happen. In which to only say if we want to resolve these issues that sadly us NZers have with race relations, we need to work together and this petty thing about not allowing our Indiginous people fly there flag is injustice! Shame on you!
Tom
Going through the readers' views on this topic it seems that a couple of things are confused: 1) The Crown is the New Zealand Government, not the royal family. Therefore the New Zealand Government is the co-signed of the treaty, not "Liz, Charlie and Wills". ) The New Zealand flag represents New Zealand. Not just Pakeha, not just Britain and it is certainly not the Union Jack. Whether or not our current flag fairly or accurately shows New Zealand is a completely different matter (one which does have a good level of profile and will, I am sure, result in a new flag at some stage); at the moment it is the flag of our country. It would be unfair to display an individual segment of New Zealand twice on such a prominent landmark as the Auckland Harbour Bridge, a group within Maoridom represented once under the tino rangatiratanga flag and then again under the New Zealand flag. As a banner of Maori nationalism I have no problem with the tino rangatiratanga flag, but it is certainly not a countrys flag and is in no way equal to the New Zealand flag (design of which may or may not be agreed on) and should not fly next to it.
Emily
Okay, this has really stirred up a hornet's nest. Here's a suggestion, and it will rile up people who will think its too PC, but compromise is good. How about covering the Harbour Bridge with all the flags representing the multitudes who have made New Zealand home. Give the NZ flag pride of place, but put also the Maori flag, and the Samoan, the South African, the British, the Korean, the Belgium flags: all the hundreds of countries that we as a united New Zealand are. Space each with a New Zealand flag, but let them all fly, and celebrate all of what New Zealand is.
Steve King
Until NZ has a flag that truly represents all of its people, I would like to see both the Maori flag and the NZ Ensign flown together, side by side, on all public buildings on Waitangi day.
Te Taniwha
The Maori Prisoners act 1880 stated that no charges or trials for Maori were needed in order to inflict punishment. Maori could be held in captivity for a period of 2 years without charge or trial and were imprisoned in caves in the Dunedin region. After 2 years in the slammer they were released to find pakeha had moved in and the greatest myth of all began. That being that pioneers toiled hard to make this country into the magnificient place it is today.
Lia Garnett
So many people were offended when a Maori activist attempted to cut the tree down from One Tree Hill. I am sure seeing a Maori sovereignty flag waiving from the top will seem a bit on-the-nose to some, regardless of who owns the hill, who puts the flag up and who cut our tree down. Logistically I really dont see why the flag was not allowed to fly from the bridge.. attack of the paranoid people pleasers. Its a flag, not a call to arms.
Tui Kamakorewa
There shouldnt be any question about raising the Maori flag on One Tree Hill. What is all the fuss about?
Jill
Why not have both the Maori flag and the NZ flag up? Better yet, line the bridge up with flags from all over the world- that way we wouldnt need to change whenever an event happens from a different country, etc. Show the rest of the world how open-minded and internationally aware we are!
Eileen Shewan
Shame on Transit NZ for taking this stand against the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa. The Maori flag, or Tino Rangatiratanaga symbol, represents the deep unity of numerous hapu that make up the nationhood of Maoridom. To deny the tangata whenua the opportunity to display this symbol of their identity as Maori, is nothing short of colonial oppression and demonstrates the racist attitudes which obviously continue to permeate the dominant culture in this country. What a disgrace that such blatantly unenlightened thinking continues to exist within an organisation such as Transit NZ. As a pakeha woman I am appalled at this bigotry.
John
One country, one law, one flag - for everybody
Te Taniwha
I have perused the attached epistes forwarded by the many uneducated linguists, in particular those who continue to purport the myth that Moriori were colonised by Maori here in Aotearoa. Moriori have never lived here. Fullstop. They inhabited the island of Rehua/Wharekauri/Chathem Islands. The next wave of occupiers to their island were pakeha sealers in the early 1700s. These sealers brought with them diseases which decimated the population. On top of that they also wiped out the main source of sustenance for Moriori, namely the seals. After the Taranaki land wars in which several Maori Iwi were made landless, Maori were put on pakeha ships and taken to the Chathems and told to live there. It was then that these landless Maori colonised the remaining Moriori. Once again he buck stops with pakeha. Not Maori, not Moriori. I would like to go into this topic in depth but it is detracting from the origional topic, the flag.
Clark
What better way to show unity then to fly the flag we all associate with NZ. The New Zealand flag. To do anything else would be to invite more opportunity to decree racial inequality in other areas. Doesnt anyone else see this as being counterproductive?
Jeremy
I dont think it should be flown. It would mean we are divided. Keep to the current flag our fore bearers fought for, Pakeha and Maori battalion alike. Never had a problem with it back then. The current flag means us New Zealand regardless.
Wayne Robinson
If this minority of Maori want to be independent then I take it they will give up what is currently available to them via the efforts of all people of NZ over the 170 years of our history? Didnt think so. I dont see any harm flying the Maori flag (so much history behind it - 10 years?) on the bridge though. It will have about as much meaning nationally as the Loyal flag anyway - a festival marker. As for One Tree Hill, no. They showed no respect for the icon of Auckland by using a Maori traditional tool (hang on sorry no it was a chainsaw) to cut the that beautiful tree down, yet they want to mark the spot with a banner of apartheid? Sorry bros, no can do. No more picking and choosing the benefits of modern New Zealand.
David
Seriously, who in NZ really cares about the Anniversary days of far off places such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan? A great many flags flown from the bridge are unrecognisable to many people anyway. Fly the NZ flag up one pole (although its high time a new flag minus the Union Jack was being flown) and fly the Maori flag up the other pole. If we have to fly other flags, fly those that have meaning to NZ, such as regional flags on anniversary days.
Annoyed
Firstly the Maori Flag is not a gang flag and is not of gang colours! It amazes me that so many people have views on this, like the comment about how we dont fly the flag at Olympic games, but yes we are keen to do the "Maori" haka at rugby games, basketball games, league games. Yes, it is not flown at the Olympic games, but when a Maori man created the Haka that is so worldly associated with NZ then yes lets all be proud of that. I am all for flying that flag high on the harbour bridge even it is only for one day, I have to say that we claim to be a nation of diversity and for a simple request to fly the Maori flag has been denied for a day that is basically to acknowledge the Maori and our ancestors' and their struggles is absolutely full of BS. Come on Transit fly the Flag we dont live in the dark ages anymore.
RK
One nation, one flag, one society, one vision, one set of goals, one set of rules, one pride, one rule of law, one freedom, one day to celebrate what one people are. Not divisive, not political, not racist, not looking backward, not aggressive, not complicated, not tainted, not self interested. Not difficult.
Dennis
I dont have an issue with Maori wanting to display a flag to represent them on the Harbour Bridge. After all they are the indigenous people and an integral part of what makes New Zealand what it is. What I do have an problem with is that they want to display whats called the Maori independence flag, which to me sounds like it symbolises anger and opposition towards the treaty and New Zealand as a nation. Not exactly appropriate, is it? Then again, me being just another redneck European, what would I know? So correct me if I am wrong.
Oh My
I find it very disturbing when one group puts forward and idea/protest etc the Herald and half of the people who post opinions choose simply to refer to them as "Maori" as if it is every single Maori person in the country. As stated in a few previous posts this is nothing more than political nonsense, and something I suspect that is purposely pushed by the media to get redneck New Zealand worked up, yet again. All of the people who are saying they would rather be called Australians then Kiwis (or similar) - good on you, we dont need ignorant people like you in this country - Im sure you love it in Australia, it is possibly one of the most redneck, racist countries in the world, so I am sure you all fit in perfectly. We need to learn to look at people not only as collectives, but as individuals - the way some of you are talking sounds like you are speaking about another species. Its just sick. Grow up all of you. We are all human. If we ever want peace in this world we need to learn to accept, celebrate and embrace difference.
JP
I have no problem with the flag. I quite like it and think it is time for us to change our flag. The link to the UK is now long gone for so many people. The Maori flag reflects us more than what we have now.
Steph
Is it not a day for all New Zealanders, there were not only Maori at the Treaty signing at Waitangi. The New Zealand flag represents all New Zealanders, so lets fly it high and proud on the bridge for all of us to share. Equally.
Aaron Bhatnagar
I think that Transit should have allowed the Maori Sovereignty flag to fly over the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Waitangi Day. The red and black flag is associated mostly with negative images of grievance and dispute. Its about time that it could actually be flown with pride in a spot where we do fly flags for all to see. Perhaps then we might see the flag in a more positive light. However, it would be inappropriate to permit that same flag to fly on One Tree Hill, given the fact that Maori radicals have caused heartache for Aucklanders by chopping down the tree on the summit. Also Ngati Whatua have been slow to give their blessings to the Auckland City Council for a replacement tree. Flying the Maori flag on the summit of One Tree Hill is more likely to cause anger than build race relations unity.
Ken
Multiculturalism means one people of many cultures - emphasis on one people. You cannot have discriminatory laws based on race - as is now the case in New Zealand - and you cannot have multiple loyalties. One people, one flag, one country, one set of laws. New Zealand is a long, long way from multiculturalism and is firmly locked into classic anti-colonial and racially divisive politics. This would be bad enough but as NZ also has a growing and unenviable reputation for home-based violence, the Walt Disney, picturesque, Polynesian paradise illusion is failing badly at the moment. I grew up in a multicultural country, paradise. What happened? Where did it all go wrong?
John Robb
Cut the rhetoric, just fly the flag. After all we flew the Sri Lankan flag from the bridge yesterday and they can beat us at cricket.
Alex
Tena koutou greetings. As a younger Pakeha New Zealander I feel as if by not letting the recognised Maori flag of independence fly, we are missing an opportunity. An opportunity to recognise Maori rights as a unique stakeholder in our countries future, whose aspirations and visions are intertwined with those of non-Maori and recognised within Te Tiriti o Waitangi; an important corner stone of our shared civic society. Non-Maori have nothing to gain but everything to lose by ignoring a symbol of pan-Maori unity, a respectable symbol of nationhood and collectivity. Let us get over the trivial and take this opportunity!
Anon
The flag has proven to be a highly divisive symbol for as long has it has existed in history, for whatever country, religion, culture or group it represents. This latest debate reconfirms that.
KC
What type of example is Kingi Taurua setting for Maori by telling the ARC to "They [the Auckland City Council] can stick their resource consent up their backsides?" Its seems if you are Maori you dont need to follow the same law of the land as other New Zealanders. If you disagree with the law or a judgement and you are Maori you can stick two fingers up at the law and do what you want anyway.
Is that the right example for Maori to follow? Im sure if someone suggested to Mr Taurua to stick his flag up his backside he might get offended.
Vince Jefferson
Those who seem deeply offended the Maori flag has been denied air time have among them a screaming minority of pakeha that appear to live in constant shame, ever remorseful that their tyrannical ancestors dared set foot on NZ shores. It appears these so-called cultural sinners may have bitten too deeply into the corrosive and politically correct apple that is the NZ education system. Maybe they should pay more attention to the wisdom of some Maori elders who disdain the sabre-rattling actions of the younger generations who are manifestly ignorant of the significance of history post-Waitangi Treaty and the New Zealand flag that symbolises it.
Dilip Rupa
The first time Transit was request for the original national flag to be flown on the Bridge was for the 28 Oct 2006. Transit refused to accept facts which everyone is not making public. NZ Independence flag shown in the Friday Herald page 3 is not the land flag which has a black seal around the St George Cross in the top left quadrant, representing the King William 1V seal. As the Queen is still head of State and the bridge part of the state highway and that NZ soldiers died under this flag on foreign soil means the truth about the founding documents of NZ need clarification.
Tony
This is just to say as an ex NZer I am disgusted that the people of NZ who wrote against flying the flag are so childish or afraid as to not want to fly a flag of the people who were in NZ long before us Pakeha. Surely after all that was done to them in the past this is a concession that does no damage to anybody. And where is the picture Great Aunty Herald of the flag itself? Are you afraid also of being seen to be on someones side?
Elijae
One country, One people, One flag.
Logan Morrison (Sydney, Aus)
My lineage has been in New Zealand for n generations. My schooling, my parents, my growing up - all gave me the understanding that we were one nation, who began from two peoples united. An agreement, a promise, a peaceful way forward called the Treaty of Waitangi was co-signed without duress by both groups of migrants to the land, with the dream of one unified nation together going forward. Utopic as it may sound, we were one of the few Commonwealth colonies (first at the time) who offered such a treaty. The Aboriginal people indigenous to Australia were never offered a Treaty and still have no such agreement in place. The Maori and the European were both settlers on the land, neither of which indigenous to it.First in first serve sounds fair to me. The Maori were here before the European, so the European (after finally admitting these strong people were none too easy to mess with) proposed a Treaty. Before the Maori settlers, take the history of the Mori-ori. A pre-Maori people, whose mentioned name awards scorn and threat, were butchered and eaten into near extinction, as well as through forced integration by such means as rape and slavery. Whilst Maori happily took them as slaves, the Maori themselves were never taken as such by the European. Indeed Australia never followed such an example. Australia has very little to offer this discussion. Their history and culture reflects very differently than ours. I think flying the Aboriginal flag on days that suit them is insultingly token gesture to the Aboriginal people given the disgusting treatment they endured. They didnt grow up here, we did. We came to the collective agreement that we could be one people. New Zealanders, thats what we were when I was growing up. A nation now awarded with an irrefutable, proud, and powerful international status, bestowed with the most diverse, rich cultural heritage.Who dare undo it, split it up... One for you, one for me?
Tiopira McDowell
In the lead up to the Auckland Mayoral Election of 2004, the newly formed Maori Party hosted the candidates at Te Horotiu Marae for a lively debate amongst their Maori constituents. I distinctly recall veteran activist Hinewhare Harawira asking Mr Hubbard whether, if in return for Maori votes, he would consider allowing the Tino Rangatiratanga flag to be flown from the harbour bridge on Waitangi day. He seemed unflustered by the request; we fly other countries flags he reasoned, why not fly our own? May I suggest our honourable Mayor settle his debts then, preferably by February 6th.
Jill Newlands
You got it half right Gav. Thousands upon thousands of New Zealanders did give their lives during WW1 and WW2 defending democracy ,but you need to know that years before both wars, in 1840 on February 6th Maori chiefs signed a Treaty, That gave us this very thing democracy. Isnt this day what this is all about? Firstly, my ancestors signed the treaty. Secondly, my ancestors fought and died in both wars If we can all cheer every time our Silver Fern is on the rugby field, we can do the same for the Maori flag for it was Maori who gave us the silver fern when the native rugby team first went to England. They picked the leaf off the ponga tree and wore it with pride, just as we all do. The treaty needs to be taught in the schools, Maori history needs to be taught in schools,so the up and coming generation can finally get it right and move on and away from all this hatred.
John
Toshi said: "The Treaty was between the Maori and the Crown." I thought the treaty was with the Queen of England. Shouldnt we direct the treaty claims to her? The English should steep up to the plate and enforce the agreement.
Jim Donald
Maori need to formally declare to the country just what it is that "their" flag purports to represent. At present it seems to be a symbol of division and political aspiration rather than unity. Only when that declaration is irrevocably confirmed can the country come to a judgement as to whether the flag is worthy of being accorded the prerequisite respect necessary before it is allowed to occupy a place of honour alongside New Zealands national flag.
Jamiera M
New Zealand is a multi cultural country, as we have people from around the world living here. Half of us may be Maori, and thats what our NZ flag should signify! Cultures bought together. Although our NZ flag does not seem to show this with the union jack which appears (to me) to signify we have the majority of people from England etc, but we must be equal and fair. The Maori race is unique and wonderful, and we are lucky they allowed us into their country, and now we share. New Zealand is for everyone, no matter their race or colour. And as for the moment, our flag will have to signify our country as we are united in this land (Aotearoa). Please understand that sometimes we have to make do with what we have got. "Either we are our brothers keepers or we are not" (figuratively speaking) our "brothers" are the races we live with.
Sam
Fly the flag. Change the NZ national flag so as to remove the Pommie flag from our lives forever. Let the Pommie crown (Liz, Phil, Charlie et all) pay for treaty settlements, after all they are the descendants of the entity that signed the treaty with Maori.
Cheryl
I am from Tauranga, and yes i say let the flag fly. It should mean more to all people living in New Zealand than the English flag we were give many years ago. Hey the Queen that gave it to us never come out and neither does her kin do. They get royalties from every time the flag goes up anywhere we could be saving lots of money in the long run. Just fly the flag. It is only for one day. Lets have peace. Stop from being the third world country that we are seen to be and take top place for once. Have New Zealand on the new around the world for doing sometime great for a change.
Alan
Why not fly the two flags of the parties involved on the original Waitangi Day - The Maori Flag and the British Flag ? Just for the day of course.
Patrice
People..its just a flag! Why are you all getting hot under the collar about a flag? Is it really going to hurt anyone? People are entitled to their flag - be it a Union Jack with a Southern Cross or a Tino Rangatiratanga flag. Just chill out this Waitangi Day and be thankful we all live in a wonderful country together.
Frans Baetens
Regardless what others do my family and a neighbours family will fly the Maori flag on Waitangi Day. We are Pakeha and proud to be New Zealanders. The Treaty and the recognition of a special status of the Tangata whenua is one of these things that makes NZ special and distinct from other countries.
David Geraghty
How utterly lame that Transit NZ are not going to fly the tino rangatiratanga flag. Their argument that they only allow the flags of recognised countries to be flown from the harbour bridge is nonsense. They flew the "Loyal" flag during one of the interminable yachting regattas. White NZ need to get over its fear of Maori celebrating themselves.
One Love
wow.....freedom of speech scares me sometimes...really. I must be very naive because I did not realise how many rednecks we have here in New Zealand. You people think that these so called "Maori radicals" are dividing the country. I think you should take a step back and look at your own behaviour. Ignorant people who have not properly studied New Zealand history really have no right to make such ludicrous statements. What the hell at comparing the tino rangatiratanga flag to the Nazis? Red, white and black are re-occuring colours of importance in hundreds of cultures. And to those obtuse people who are "embarrased to be called a New Zealander", I must say I am also embarrassed to call you a New Zealander! Its a flag for crying out loud, its not like someone is going to come confiscate your land or something.....geeez. :)
Toshi
The Treaty was between the Maori and the Crown so I dont think that flying two flags together on Waitangi day is offensive idea for any other race, including myself. In fact, I would like to see the both flags on the harbour bridge on the Waitangi day as peaceful and symbolic meaning of unity Maori and Pakeha the two signatories. For me, the Tino Rangatiratanga flag seems to be always associated with protesting for Maori rights and may have lost its true symbolic meaning - which represents harmony and enlightement of universe, earth and human. This is probably because this flag is only used and associated with the robbing of Maori rights and therefore the ensuing protests that followed. I would be delighted to see Maori flag fly on the bridge if the flag communicated to people the peaceful real meaning of the design. On the other hand, I dont want to see the flag fly if flag is only used to communicate the protests for Maori rights. Perhaps, it is the time for Maori to educate and show the real meaning of the flag to the rest of the New Zealanders? I am Japanese living in NZ and want to think NZ is fair & liberal country. (and perhaps Jap flag on the VJ days? ;-))
Dan
I am not sure if I represent the majority of New Zealanders or not but I think the more flags they fly on that bridge the prettier it would look. That is about the gravity of this issue.
Niniwa Tuhiwai
Are we not proud of the original people of our Land?
Are we ashamed, embarrassed, confused? This flag should be flying at all schools, all government departments, Parliament, your house , my house.This flag is not a radical, protest or uprising. It is a symbol of Maoridom, a symbol of our culture, of our independence. Show you support, show some respect, Be proud. Fly the flag. Yep, even in Australia!
Jacqueline
I think the Maori flag should be flown on the bridge to acknowledge Waitangi Day. I am quite offended that the request has been rejected.
Kiritapu Allan
Come on Transit, come on Parekura! Gone are the days of colonial conquerists sitting behind closed doors drumming fingers together to work out how to get more from the natives...surely?! The Tino Rangatiratanga flag embodies the blood, sweat and tears of our tupuna in symbolises the blood shed over the commidification of our earth mother papatuanuku - beyond that this flag is a symbol of hope for rangatahi maori like myself, to fulfill the teachings of my ancestors and strive to hold my head high and walk with pride. A future I want to create for myself, my children and my children's children. Come on Parekura, you know your nanny would be very disappointed in you right now.
Jesse
In the response to the comment left by Aidan Work, I am disgusted that you would compare the Maori Flag to that of the Nazi Germany Flag. Being Maori that is not only an insult but rude, maybe you Aidan should ask or rather research the meaning behind the flag. Before you are quick to type maybe you should read your what you write before you are so eager to click the submit button, Aidan there is alot more to the flag then what is being said and there is a lot more to the maori culture then what you see and watch on TV. Maybe you should come and see what we as Maori do on Waitangi day and maybe you will be shocked to see that to us our flag is not a piece of Neo Nazi Rag but rather a flag we not only want to fly on a national holiday that commerates us as people but a flag we hold dear to our hearts.
Anna
When I first read this story I was annoyed at the lack of respect that the Maori Flag has been given, and now I am just mad at some of the comments that I have read. I have to say again we as Maori are not asking for the flag to be flown on every day but Waitangi Day is more symbolic to Maori then it is the every other culture in NZ, and as for the comment on the us Maori's adapting to Pakeha way of life, everyone in this world has had to adapt to that way of life thank you very much, I cant believe all the close minded comments that I have read, maybe some of you should try listening to the elder generation of us Maori and hear how the were told they werent allowed to speak their native tongue, whipped for it when they did and treated like social outcasts, Waitangi is not only a day to remember the signing of the Treaty but to also acknowledge our past and to embrace our future, but when you have close minded people that say comments about this and that then it does became a day of debate and ridicule, Let us Fly the Flag on Waitangi Day but not only that but let us who are proud of our heritage Fly the Flag in our Hearts and carry the torch for our Whanau. Stand Proud all the Maori people around the world and speak the language we love.
Grant
This whole thing is just a pre-Waitangi Day political ambush to embarrass the government and get some publicity - and its working! But, if it were up to me, Id say Lets have the tino rangatiratanga flag up there! I never liked the idea of flags flying on the Bridge in the 1st place, as they tend to get us into exactly this kind of trouble - but, now that we're doing it, why cant we honour Maoridom on the 6th of Feb like we do other nations?
Gav
The only flag that should be flown is the New Zealand Flag. The flag that thousands off servicemen gave their lives for during WW1 and WW2.
Stephen
Both flags should fly. As a young Maori male, I can distinguish between rather stupid claims/comments that come out of Maori and Pakeha mouths. Something that isnt stupid, is the previous comments asking for unity, especially on Waitangi Day. Denying the right to fly the flag is only going to stir trouble. Side by Side I say.
Bob
The Maori flag is ugly and it is gang colours. Ban it!
Overseas
I am a New Zealander staying over in Australia, but any way, why dont you just fly both of them, cosh don't be so mean to us Maoris hey, because it was our country before the white people came.
Dave
I couldnt agree more with "a frustrated reader". The treaty was signed by the chiefs representing their tribes and the crown. Why therefore should hard working NZ taxpayers (of any ethnicity) keep forking out tax dollars on the grievances of the past. The crown signed the treaty, so in my opinion, the NZ Govt should simply ship all treaty grievances over to the Ku and let the damn Poms deal with the problem that their precious royalty created. Many countries the Poms marched into to ever so noble and honourably expand the empire, they unnobly and dishonourably crept out of and left the problems they created.
The pommy taxpayer should shoulder the treaty burden, not New Zealanders. I do not think that Transit should let the flag fly from the Harbour Bridge. The sovereignty flag has in my opinion come to symbolise the divisive campaign waged by a small group of malcontents out to get something for nothing. If I wanted to fly a flag from the Harbour Bridge, Transit would tell me (politely Im sure) that I would not be allowed. I guess the difference is that:
a) I am not arrogant enough to expect that a flag of my making be flown from a prominent Auckland landmark
b) I am not arrogant enough to create a national storm in a teacup to protest the fact that I was supposedly being treated unfairly.
I am heartily sick of this ongoing childish fiasco.
Christine
No! It is not an international flag. Do they fly the Maori flag at the olympics, when kiwis are involved? Um, no! So no, it shouldnt be flown, we have a flag, and we all know what that looks like.
Angie
No, the Maori flag does not represent our country and I am still wondering why it is not recognised as a national icon, as it does represent the people indigenous to this land, Maori! After the settlers arrived and stripped this country of its original identity; slowly stealing our language, beliefs, and land; we have held on strongly to our culture, and value it very highly. So to deny us this one small thing is like saying "no you are not allowed to be proud of who you are and where you come from." What happened to freedom of speech? I think Transit New Zealand should be ashamed, we do not need another racist Don Brash wannabe trying to undo the years of hard work we have done preserving our heritage, by denying us something as simple as a flag. And another thing, Who do they think it is going to hurt?
P Dalton
I think the debate that is going on here is really healthy for a number of reasons. First of all, it shows the intelligen
