New Zealand First has today introduced a member’s bill which would make it law that government buildings can only display the official flag of New Zealand.
“Government buildings are for all New Zealanders and should not be hijacked to force cultural, woke, or divisive political ideology down the throats of others” says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters.
“This legislation would ban symbols and flags of politically motivated ideology and division from being displayed on government buildings”.
“New Zealand First believes in one country, one people, one flag” says Mr Peters.
The “Display of Flags (Government Premises) Bill” would restrict flags being displayed on Crown buildings, local authority properties, and state schools to the official flag of New Zealand. Only in specific circumstances could an officially recognised flag of another country or territory being hosted on official business be displayed.
This bill would make it illegal for Government House to show the royal flag, when the King is in residence. It would also stop the vice-regal flag being shown.
Schools would not be able to host the flags of other countries as part of their educational programme.
No government building could display a sporting flag (such as the All Blacks Silver Fern) as part of an official victory parade.
It would also prevent the New Zealand Red Ensign, the New Zealand White Ensign, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Ensign and the New Zealand Civil Air Ensign from being used.
Local authorities would no longer be allowed to display their official city flags.
The Olympics flag would also be banned.
So really this is a very silly bill.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders
3 comments:
Peters' move is clearly aimed at the Tino Rangatiratanga flag.
On 14 December 2009, Cabinet recognised the Tino Rangatiratanga flag as the preferred national Māori flag and noted it would complement the New Zealand flag.
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage website states that the Tino Rangatiratanga flag should be flown in a way that:
- respects the status of the New Zealand flag as ‘the symbol of the Realm, Government and people of New Zealand’
- expresses a spirit of mutual respect and nationhood
A lot has changed since 2009. Readers will judge for themselves how those noble objectives have now been subverted. Far from being a symbol of mutual respect and nationhood it is now a symbol of disrespect to our nationhood. And the denial by the Waitangi Tribunal that sovereignty was ceded by the Treaty has added menace to the seditious repurposing of the flag.
The Ministry has published clear rules for how the real New Zealand flag is to be displayed. It does not need to be "complemented" since it is the only symbol of our national sovereignty we need. So no recognition is given to the Tino Rangatiratanga flag. That position clearly needs to be reinforced by law.
Farrar has correctly illustrated the absurdity of Peters' approach. The bill should therefore be precise in its objective which is to confirm the New Zealand flag as the only official flag, and put the Tino Rangatiratanga flag back on the marae where it belongs. While we are not in the business of banning flags, neither should we be condoning direct threats to our constitutional integrity.
Its creation and recognition was a political act. Its ongoing use has beem and its removal from official public life should be a political act.
If the King is in residence and our sovereign Head of State, he doesn't need a vice regal flag the NZ flag should be good enough.
Schools don't need to host the flags of other countries to be educated.
Sports flags and ceremonies have been hijacked by sports bodies and many athletes to make cheap political statements, so it is inappropriate should be displayed in preference to the NZ Flag.
We are not 'yet' a military state, so ensigns have no relevance to anyone outside of the military.
City Flags are a joke.
The Olympic flag should never be hosted in NZ we are not the Third Reich either.
I really don't see the problem and unfortunately this "silly bill" is probably necessary to stop the idiotic nonsense that has defamed govt property.
Yap, yap, yap. We are a country called New Zealand and we have a flag. Diluting either of those facts by re-naming our country or flying another flag makes us weaker not stronger. Anyone heard of divide and rule?
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