17 February 2005
Nelsonians keen to see New Zealand get a new flag can add their signatures to a petition circulating through the region.
The petition, part of the nationwide push to get a referendum on the issue,
was launched on Saturday.
Co-campaign leader Daniel Hayward, 15, said around 500 people had added their
names to the petition including high profile locals like businessman Peter Talley
and Maitai School principal Reid Strange.
Nelson taxi driver Mike Rodwell is helping Hayward, a Nayland College student, run the campaign. It was hoped about 5,000 signatures would be gathered in the Nelson region.
The petition would be added to ones from other districts and presented to Parliament on May 1, he said.
Hayward said he believed New Zealand needed a new flag as the old one did not adequately express New Zealand's culture.
"It's about time we had a change, it doesn't reflect who we are at all, and it's too much like Australia's flag."
Most people in the community had supported the change, although he had experienced some opposition to the proposal, he said.
Petitions are available for signing at locations around the region including the Nelson Information Centre, the Richmond Information Centre, Sportsworld Richmond, Rebel Sports, and the Wakefield Pharmacy, Hayward said.
The Nelson Mail
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