Flag campaigners start collecting signatures

A selection of possible new flags on display outside Parliament today. Picture / Fotopress

The organiser of a campaign to change the flag says the right design has not yet been found but he is confident the existing one, emblazoned with a union jack, will be replaced.

Wellington businessman Lloyd Morrison wants the New Zealand flag, adopted in 1902, changed because he says it was forced on the public through legislation, is rooted in our colonial past and is too easily confused with others, particularly the Australian flag.

He has sparked public debate by proposing a radically different flag design -- a stylised silver fern in white on a black background.

Today, Mr Morrison was on Parliament's steps with a group of prominent New Zealanders to launch a petition to force a referendum on the issue.

Among those endorsing the move today were television sports broadcaster Keith Quinn, actor Dame Kate Harcourt, former All Black captain Graham Mourie and New Zealand Stock Exchange chief executive Mark Weldon.

Some 300,000 signatures are needed by May to put the question of whether the design of the flag should be changed to a referendum at this year's general election.

Mr Morrison told NZPA the flag would definitely be changed, and whether it changed as a result of this campaign was a "moot point".

He was confident the group would get the 300,000 signatures needed to force a referendum although possibly not in time to stage a referendum at the election.

The reason for staging a referendum was so that the public could force the change, he said.

"At present, Parliament has the right to change the flag. I think it would be a great pity if one day they changed it without the wider involvement of all New Zealanders."

Mr Morrison said he felt very proud when the flag was raised, because that was usually done on an auspicious occasion.

"The real issue is that if we raised a sack of spuds every time somebody died or we won a medal, then that would have meaning because of the moment.

"The question is could it have more meaning, could we feel more affinity towards that flag, if we felt it was more symbolic of the nation today and inspiration for our future," he said.

Half a dozen different designs were flying on Parliament's forecourt today but Mr Morrison said a replacement design had not yet been chosen.

"Personally, I don't think we've come up with the design at this stage but I don't really see that as the issue at the moment. I think it's a two stage process and if a design is to be chosen it should be chosen under an official process."

That would be by a group of New Zealanders, "that wouldn't include me or people in this campaign probably".

A design should go to a second referendum "so New Zealanders know exactly what they're getting".

He said the flag issue was separate to the issue of whether New Zealand should become a republic.

- NZPA