Prime Minister John Key contextualised his decision to invoke the flag change process with an update of his thinking published in the national dailies last Saturday.
Much of what he says I endorse totally. Our current flag is not only past its used-by date, as a 19th Century defaced British naval ensign it was never a flag chosen by New Zealanders. It is a depiction of national identity imposed by the occupying power and in light of the Treaty of Waitangi now officially being recognised as our founding document, an insult to Maoridom. It has to go.
Of course there are many New Zealanders who can't understand this and others who simply refuse to acknowledge reality. Such is the burden that progress always faces - inertia from the rump of public opinion. But as the discussion has progressed since the Prime Minister's announcement of the Flag Consideration Panel eight months ago, there has emerged at least a wider public understanding of what our current flag means and why it is so inappropriate.
Moving to an alternative however is where the things are stuck. Firstly the Prime Minister clearly wants his preference to be chosen and that does somewhat taint the integrity of using public referenda to arrive at a decision. Mr Key has politicised the process, and so some will oppose whatever he prefers regardless, thereby undermining the entire exercise.
The Prime Minister wants the silver fern. His rationale was spelt out in Saturday's newspapers. He simply wants the flag to be a brand, he has no interest whatsoever in any meaning beyond that. It's all about recognition for Mr Key. He loves the Canadian flag for that reason and he adorns himself with silver fern badges and insignia when he attends sports events. He notes the rugby crowd all have a silver fern somewhere on our attire when we roll up for the game. And that for Mr Key that means we have chosen or endorsed the fern as the symbol of who we are.