Finding a new 'branding' to make the heart pound

Green Party leader Rod Donald reckons it's time for a new national flag, while Act Party head Rodney Hide has excited palpitations whenever he sees the current one.

But Mr Hide, like other political leaders contacted by the Herald, is open to the idea of changing the flag.

He said he feels his heart pound every time he sees the New Zealand flag. It is an emblem, forever representing those who died for it, he says. "It represents all that is New Zealand. That's not to say that another flag couldn't do that, but you can't just drop another flag in and expect it to have the same impact."

The national ensign is "colourful and vibrant", and not at all too British, said Mr Hide. "Our history is British and it reflects that history."

Changing the flag is back in the public arena following the launch on Tuesday of a campaign by the nzflag.com trust, to get a referendum on the issue.

Mr Hide believes the trust is tackling the flag issue in the right way, and feels politicians should be kept away from any final decision on a replacement.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said through her press secretary Mike Munro that she accepted that "at some stage the issue of the flag is going to be considered".

She did not wish to express her own feelings about the flag, but said if the campaign managed to force a referendum, and the public voted for change, a "long and full" process of change would begin.

National leader Don Brash, fresh from his Orewa address, said he was "content" with the current flag, but was "not totally opposed" to a change if the public wanted it.

The New Zealand flag causes a stir in Dr Brash when overseas, in the same way as seeing an Air New Zealand Jumbo Jet parked at Heathrow Airport. "It makes you feel pretty good," he said.

Green leader Rod Donald said: "it's time for a change." Mr Donald has already signed the trust's flag petition. "I believe New Zealand needs a flag that clearly establishes our identity as a nation in our own right."

A new flag would also help New Zealand from a business perspective, by providing the country with a distinctive brand. The Canadians' distinctive maple leaf was the perfect example of a successful branding, he said.

While conceding the flag issue is a legitimate one, United's Peter Dunne thinks more important issues - such as the debate on legalised prostitution - should take priority.

He said a new flag would have to be a "rallying point" for all Kiwis.

Winston Peters wants to see the flag upgraded to something "appropriate" for the 21st century but is concerned the debate could become ensnared in the wider issue of republicanism. "We have a significant number of people in this country who think that the flag and issues of constitutional arrangements and history are all bound up in the visual presentation of a flag," he said.

Maori Party leader Tariana Turia believes the flag is a symbol of colonial occupation, but to simply change it would be "like eating only the icing on the cake". That is, "nice to do, but fairly light on substance".

Any flag change should be part of a wider examination of New Zealand's cultural identity, she said.