24 June 2005
By Mike Houlahan
The campaign to force a referendum on the New Zealand flag has recruited All Blacks legend Colin Meads and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Dick Tayler.
Lobby group www.nzflag.com is seeking 300,000 signatures on a petition calling for a flag referendum that would ask the question: "Should the design of the New Zealand flag be changed?"
The two sportsmen join an illustrious group of New Zealanders who have signed the petition, including writer Alan Duff, former governor-general Dame Cath Tizard, actress Dame Kate Harcourt, fashion designer Karen Walker, special effects wizard Richard Taylor and Telecom chief executive Theresa Gattung.
"Endorsements like those are extremely important for raising awareness of the campaign," nzflag. com spokeswoman Jo Coughlan said.
"They represent a cross-section of New Zealanders, which is important because this is a campaign for all New Zealanders, just not a few groups," she said.
Meads said he had added his voice to the campaign because he supported New Zealanders flying a flag they could call their own. "Kiwis or silver ferns are possible choices," Meads said.
"As a former New Zealand international, I find it frustrating when people confuse our flag with Australia's. I like the unity of patriotic support which the South African flag has brought that country. I think New Zealand needs the same."
Meads is the star of a commercial that will be shown on the big screen before each of the three tests between the All Blacks and the British and Irish Lions.
He and Tayler will also be on hand at Jade Stadium tomorrow to try to drum up support for the campaign.
Tayler said when he won his 10,000m athletics gold medal at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games it was not seeing the nation's flag hoisted high that inspired him. "I was a proud Kiwi, and I was proud to wear the silver fern."
Tayler said he would prefer to see an internationally recognisable symbol of New Zealand – such as the fern or the kiwi – on the flag, rather than continue with the current ensign.
Coughlan said that while independent opinion polls showed strong support for a rethink about the New Zealand flag, that had yet to be transformed into petition signatures.
Forcing a citizens-initiated referendum requires a 270,000-strong petition. Nzflag. com is aiming for 300,000, but currently has only between 60,000 and 100,000, Coughlan said.
"People know about the campaign but not as many know about the petition, which is why we have launched this new campaign," Coughlan said.
"We need the signatures by October, and it's a matter of turning people's sentiment into support."
The Press
(c) 2005 Fairfax New Zealand Limited