Silver Fern Flag
  • Store
    • Colours Store
  • Licence
    • Apply
  • Press
  • Flag
    • Identity
    • Supporters
    • Free
  • Contact

PRESS

MEDIA ARTICLES
Store

New flag will be 'worth billions' to New Zealand

8/8/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Prime Minister John Key believes proposals to incorporate the silver fern into a new flag 
could be worth 'billions' to the New Zealand economy.  
A new flag is "gonna be worth billions" to New Zealand, Prime Minister John Key says.

In an interview on More FM on Thursday morning, Key hit back at critics of the flag referendum.

He said one of the main problems people had with the vote was the cost.

"Basically in the end it's gonna be worth billions over time," says John Key of a proposed new flag..

"People say it will cost $26 million, it will cost less than that," he said.

He argued that the flag would make New Zealand money in the long term.

"How much is it worth ultimately if we change our flag and people recognise and buy our products?

"Basically in the end it's gonna be worth billions over time."

The two-step referendum on the flag was announced by the Government last year, with Key favouring a move away from the union jack on the current ensign.

A panel is currently considering more than 10,000 designs submitted by the public.

The panel will choose four options from those designs. In the first referendum, the public will rank those four options.

In a second referendum, the existing flag will be pitted against the most popular choice.

When prompted on whether the flag change would be his legacy, Key said the flag debate started before he became Prime Minister.

"It's not about me," he said.

"My legacy, I think, will be the economic management of the country, the way we stood behind Christchurch, so many other things. Hopefully my positivity as a prime minister."

Key referred to Canada's flag change in 1965 to support his arguments for a change. He said the old Canadian design was similar to New Zealand's current flag and that the Canadian government selected a new design without a referendum. 

"Show me a single Canadian on their planet who would go back to their old flag? Not a single Canadian would."

SUMMARY OF JOHN KEY'S 10 REBUTTALS TO KEEPING THE FLAG

1. "You're a bit late."

The flag has been changed before, Key said.

"It's actually our third flag," he said. "You're a bit late."

2. "Sheer confusion."

"No one knows our flag internationally," he said. 

3. "People fought and died under the flag, I understand that completely, and that's the line that the RSA runs."

However, while Key respected the RSA, he said Commonwealth war graves were decorated with the silver fern, not the flag. He said the flag was about "values and principles of the country".

4. Other Commonwealth countries have changed their flag.

17 out of 20 Commonwealth countries changed their flags, Key said. "Odd thing maybe in a way is not changing."

5. "I'm the biggest constitutional monarchist out."

To those who feared New Zealand would then become a republic, Key said he wanted the Queen to be the Head of State.

6. "Look at the Canadian flag."

Key said wearing the New Zealand flag on a sweatshirt, no one would know what it was. Unlike the maple leaf.

7. "We simply don't use it."

Key referenced sports games where New Zealanders don't wear the flag.

8. "Building the sense of a young multicultural country"

Key said the flag will help young people to promote New Zealand overseas.

9. 26 million? "It'll cost less than that."

"How much is it worth ultimately if we change our flag and people recognise and buy our products? Basically in the end it's gonna be worth billions over time."

10. "It'll never be the right time."

To those who think now is not the right time, Key said it will never be.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/70872711/prime-minister-john-key-says-a-new-flag-will-be-worth-billions-to-new-zealand
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    MEDIA


    Buy Flag

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    September 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    February 2014
    August 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    Pre 2012 Articles

    Categories

    All
    All Whites
    ANZAC
    Architectural Designer
    Austin Woods
    Australian
    BBC
    Bill English
    Boer War
    Christchurch United FC
    Czech Republic
    David Shearer
    Dawn French
    Fairfax
    Flag Of Canada
    Flag Of Jamaica
    Flag Referendum 2
    Gary Brown
    Green Party MP
    John Key
    Kip Colvey
    Kyle Lockwood
    Labour
    Licensing
    Lifewear
    London
    Lt Col Chris Mullane
    Malcolm Mulholland
    Maori
    New Zealand Army
    New Zealand Flag
    New Zealand Flag Facts
    N Z Elite Triathlon Team
    N Z Flag
    NZ Flag Consideration Project
    NZ Flag Poll Vote!
    NZ Flag Poll - Vote!
    NZ Listener
    One News
    Otago Daily Times
    Preferred Alternative New Zealand Flag
    Professor Andrew Russell
    Referendum
    Republic Of New Zealand
    RSA
    Scottish Indepandence
    Silver Fern
    Silver Fern Flag
    Sir Edmund Hillary
    Southern Cross
    UK
    U K
    Union Flag
    Union Jack
    Victoria & Albert
    Walk Of Fame
    WW1
    WW2

© 2000-2020 Kyle Lockwood
Silver Fern Flag is a division of Architecture Ltd incorporated in NZ in 2006
  • Store
    • Colours Store
  • Licence
    • Apply
  • Press
  • Flag
    • Identity
    • Supporters
    • Free
  • Contact