John Hepburn: 'Kiwi flag needs a change'

Name: Watch: John Hepburn's opinion on NZ flag change
Uploaded: 2016-03-17T14:37:26+13:00
Duration: 125 s
Description: Flag advocate John Hepburn talks about how he tried to change the New Zealand flag in 1999. He believes that NZ needs to embrace the flag change like Canada did.

NZ Herald

17 Mar, 2016 06:40 AMQuick Read

Flag advocate John Hepburn talks about how he tried to change the New Zealand flag in 1999. He believes that NZ needs to embrace the flag change like Canada did.

A Scottish man who lived in Canada for 30 years has promoted flag change since moving to New Zealand.

Tauranga resident John Hepburn told the Herald he saw the success of Canada's flag change and thought Kiwis should do the same.

"I didn't like the New Zealand flag when I came here. I don't like seeing the Union Jack another country's flag on our flag."

Mr Hepburn designed a new flag in 1999 and stood in the General Election that year with the sole purpose of changing the flag.

"I thought it was time to have a new flag to celebrate the new millennium; I thought why not for New Zealand? Why not for the millennium?"

Mr Hepburn believed the referendum could have been a lot cheaper if instead of a countrywide paper vote, 1000 Kiwis were sent to Canada to see the success of the Canadian flag change.