Be sensible and make your flag vote count

I have better faith that, given the freedom to make a choice, the public will instinctively choose the flag they favour. FILE PHOTO

WE'RE down to four flag designs. It's the public's time to choose.

I have generally been a supporter of the flag design process.

I'm also a big fan of John Oliver, the American journalist/comedian who thought the flag design of the kiwi with the laser beam eyes was just awesome.

I get his point but, frankly, I'm pleased the Flag Consideration Panel has come up with four designs that are, for the most part, close to what I imagined the new flag could look like.

"For the most part" means, for me, three out of four are pretty good, and I'm hearing anecdoctally that people think the black and white koru, the only nod to Maori heritage, is their least favourite. It's my least favourite as well.

This is a country where we have the right to take offence, and so we'll have to go through the wailing and angsting over the lack of originality or the boring look of the designs.

I don't quite know what people imagined the design would be to counter the "boring" accusation, but a national flag is supposed to be symbolic, not outrageously abstract and liberal.

From the NZ Herald surveys, it seems that many people are reluctant to say if they'll stick with the original flag because they want to see which final flag design goes up against it. And this is where suggestions of gerrymandering are coming in.

There's been a call to vote for what is likely to be the least attractive design (the black and white koru) in the hopes that, when put up against the NZ flag in the final stage of the referendum, it won't stand a chance of winning.

NZ First leader Winston Peters is telling his supporters on Facebook to vote KOF (Keep Our Flag), thus invalidating the referendum votes and toppling the process over.

I say, grow up. I have better faith that, given the freedom to make a choice, the public will instinctively choose the flag they favour.

These are four pretty good designs, with a definite bent towards the silver fern, and I think they look pretty fine.

The time to make your sensible and considered choice, or protest, is when we have the final design, up against what we have now. Be sensible and make your vote count.