Endorsements

Theresa Gattung, Former CEO Telecom
It's time we had a flag that makes a statement about where we're heading as a nation - or at least made a decision to positively embrace the existing flag if that's what New Zealanders want.

As it is, we inherited the existing flag without ever making a decision about why we have it and what it means.

Personally, I'd love to see a flag that says something strong and positive about New Zealand - embracing the fact that we're anchored in the Pacific and we're a diverse bunch of people. It's important to honour the past, but the existing flag links us to just one country the United Kingdom. It would be great to have something that's deeply rooted in this part of the world. My parents emigrated from Britain to New Zealand to start a new and better life in a country that wasn't hide-bound by the traditional class system. They wanted to have a family and, the way they saw it, New Zealand offered better opportunities for their children. Today, my three sisters and I are extremely grateful they made that choice.

The New Zealand my parents arrived at 40 or so years ago is miles different from the one we now live in. We've become a much more diverse country and we like the idea that Kiwis continually make their presence felt on the world stage, whether in sport, business, film or the arts.

So let's have a flag that says something about that spirit.