DBWI: What if the Lazer Kiwi design didn't win the flag competition


I think I speak for all in New Zealand when I say that I am proud of our new flag. It's unique, well known across the world and has been described by those at the last UN meeting as "utterly unforgettable"

What do think of it? What if this flag wasn't made the new flag if New Zealand? What do you see replacing it?
 
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I think I've said it before but the change of the flag was necessary due to the rise of international rugby. Halfway through the match between Australia and New Zealand after 4 beers mistakes were being made
 
The new Laser Kiwi is almost as nice as Canada's new flag.

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(OOC the premise is borderline ASB, but I can see the protest vote against PM John Key coalescing around Laser Kiwi as an "anti Government" protest vote as the way to get it winning the referendum. Key would be strongly tempted to ignore the result..)

IC: well, the whole process was flawed.. opening this up to public submissions was always going to generate rogue ideas.

It was an interesting mix of support for Laser Kiwi... eccentrics who liked it's quirkiness and lefties who wanted to sabotage the Prime Minister's "vanity project" (he was pretty open about favouring the Silver Fern flag).

If Laser Kiwi had failed, i think it's likely John Key would not have resigned in early 2016. Having to see such a widely adopted symbol of Anti-National Party sentiment as our flag... well, his position was untenable.

If Silver Fern had won, he'd have gone into the 2017 election in a very strong position & probably still be Prime Minister.

If the status quo had won (against any new flag), I think John Key would still be Prime Minister too. Yes, it would be a rare defeat.. but he would bounce back, he always did.. and Labour under Andrew Little didn't have the x-factor to beat him. The only reason that Little & Labour won in 2017 was that National was in disarray in the fallout after the flag & Judith Collins won a tight leadership race against Bill English (who was seen as being 'yesterday's man' and too close to Key's inner circle)

The NZ electorate were certainly not keen on our own spin on a Margaret Thatcher-style PM.
 
I for one love our new flag, can you imagine how annoying it would have been to spend all that money and time and we end up with THE SAME flag? That would have been the greatest "mmm yeah... Nah" moment in nz history.
 
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