It’s been more than 60 years since the decline of the British Empire, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell based on the number of countries that still bear the Union Jack – you know that iconic red white and blue cross sort of thing – on their flags. Well, New Zealand might finally be ready to shed the colonial vestige hailing from the 1840s; their government is considering holding a referendum on the nation’s flag design.
Opinions in the country seem to be equally split, however. Conservatives opposed to changing the flag say the nation’s military heritage is tied to the current design—generations of New Zealanders have died under it in war. Proponents of a switch say the current flag fails to recognize indigenous Maori population, and argue it lacks the simplicity and unique brand power of flags like the U.S. Star-Spangled Banner (nailed it!).
But the primary issue for many is simply that the flag looks so much like Australia’s (a cardinal sin, as we learned from the New Zealand duo in Flight of the Concords). There are periodic diplomatic mishaps when other countries confuse the flags, and sometimes even New Zealanders and Australians mix it up.
So what should replace the symbol of British imperialism? The most popular option sees to be the image emblematic of New Zealand’s sports teams, including the famous All Blacks rugby team: a stylized fern leaf in silver. Hey, Canada kicked their British habit with a maple leaf, why shouldn’t New Zealand do it with a fern?
