Designer Kyle Lockwood chats to One News about the Silver Fern Flag, Click image to view report.

If your flag gets chosen in the referendum, does that mean you get paid?

No I will not.  I have assigned the rights to the Crown and would receive no payment whatsoever.


What will you do with your flag if it isn't successful in the referendum?

The Crown will assign the rights back to myself, There are a large number of supporters of the Silver Fern Flag, possibly over a million kiwis, and I will continue to sell the flag online through silverfernflag.org as I have done since 2006.

What does it feel like right now, when thinking your design could be the new NZ flag?

To be honest, it's huge and a little overwhelming. 
 
My grandmother flies my flag in the Wellington wind each day, and probably the most emotional and humbling moments for me have been seeing it flown around the country everywhere on boats, beaches, baches and buildings, and seeing it flying representing New Zealand in exotic places around the world has been pretty humbling too!

Have people recognised you? What's it been like to be in the 'public eye'?

I'm just an ordinary guy and life has been as per usual for me.  I've had people recognise me in the street and compliment me which was very nice of them.

 
Have you ever met John Key?

I'd never met him in my life until just a couple of weeks ago at an informal gathering where the designers from the first referendum were invited to attend by responsible minister Bill English, and acknowledged.
 
 
There's been criticism of the process, your design, and even that you are not a designer, what do you think of that?

I am an architectural designer with a 15-year international career in architecture, so I 'eat, breathe and sleep' design for a living.  I first designed this flag 16 years ago and have since carefully refined it a number of times based on feedback from leading international vexillogists. 
 
Of course there are going to be different viewpoints for all sorts of subjective reasons.  I remember a headline when the four alternatives were first announced "Four alternative flags, four million opinions" and that sums it up really!

 
Do you think the Flag Consideration Panel could have done things differently?

I don't think there's anything significant that you could do differently - they had a tough job to do.  It was a robust process, and let's face it, a selection had to be made by someone!  The fact that people get to vote on it in a democratic referendum process made me pretty proud to be a Kiwi! 


Change the NZ Flag, along with many high-profile New Zealanders have been promoting your flag, what's your involvement in that?

I'm not part of that organisation or have any financial part in it.  Of course, I'm very humbled by the many people who have shown support for the Silver Fern flag, and I thank them immensely for their passion and enthusiasm!

What's next for you? You've bought back the 10-year passport, you have designed what could be New Zealand's next flag, will you be writing a new national anthem for New Zealand?

I'm a designer, and definitely not a songwriter! I tend to campaign for matters that I am passionate about, and that I feel are beneficial to Kiwis both in New Zealand, and overseas!

silverfernflag.org

NZ LISTENER
3 March 2016

The Listener argues that the debate over changing New Zealand’s flag has been distorted by political motives and distractions such as cost concerns. It urges voters to refocus on the key issue: whether the current flag truly represents New Zealand’s independent national identity or still reflects its colonial ties to Britain through the Union Jack. Historically, the existing flag was adopted when New Zealand strongly identified with Britain, but the country has since evolved into an independent, multicultural nation with strong ties across the Pacific and Asia. Symbols like the silver fern have long held cultural significance, including for Māori. Many other former British colonies have already removed the Union Jack from their flags. Drawing on Canada’s successful flag change, the article argues that adopting a new symbol could strengthen national pride and identity, and that failing to act would be a missed opportunity for NZ.

Read more: http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/features/flag-of-the-bold/

There's been a few questions lately about the appearance of the fern on the Silver Fern Flag.

​It was decided early in the design phase to stylise the silver fern on the flag, just as the Canadian flag has a stylised maple leaf, the reason for stylisation is so the fern-leaf on the flag looks right when it's aloft in the breeze.

We've also been asked why isn't the fern silver?

In flag design convention, there are 5 official colours and 2 official metals, design rules stipulate that a colour must be separated by a metal.

Silver is represented in white just as gold is represented in yellow.

As a current serviceman deployed abroad I am watching (and voting) from afar and through my own poll with the numerous other nationalities I am currently working alongside, the silver fern is by far the one they can easily identify NZ with. Not only is the silver fern adorned on the NZ headstones in the numerous war graves around Europe, but also prominent on the current NZ Army and NZ Defence Force (NZDF) branding.

That said the flag is for all of NZ, not just the military. By applying the military appreciation process ‘Observe, Orientate, Decide, and Act’ an informed decision can be realised without political or organisational interference and bias so the action taken on the voting paper is an individual’s choice.

Through this referendum we have a chance to make history and provide a NZ identity for our grand and great grandchildren to rally under, rather than living in the past.

As a serving member of the NZDF I remain loyal to the NZ Flag of the day, it is my hope that come the 24th March 2016 we can march proudly into a future under a flag that is uniquely distinguishable and recognisable of NZ advancing, and not, marking time.

*Tim

(*Name changed to protect the identity of the author currently deployed abroad on active service)