Initial research for flag referendum

Decided on using the topic of the flag refendum and looking at statistics and commentary about how nz feels about the change. 

And looking at what else the money could be spent on to help Nz's people instead of just givving the coutry a new flag

Arguments for change

Proponents for change argue that:

• The national flag is too similar to the flag of Australia and the two are often confused. For example, in 1984 the Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke was greeted by New Zealand flags when visiting Ottawa, and the current New Zealand prime minister John Key has been seated under the Australian flag in several international meetings.
• As a derivative of the Blue Ensign, some feel that it does not represent New Zealand's current status as an independent, sovereign nation. Instead it alludes to New Zealand being a colony or sub-part of the United Kingdom, which is anachronistic.
• The national flag exclusively acknowledges those of British heritage whilst ignoring New Zealand's Māori population and other ethnic groups. Some have called this inappropriate because the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori heritage are significant parts of New Zealand's history, and because New Zealand is a multi-ethnic society with increasingly diverse demographics. For example, the 1961 census reported that 92% of the population had European ancestry, but by the 2013 census it had changed to 74%; the figure is as low as 59.3% in Auckland.

Arguments against change

Opponents to change argue that:

• The national flag has "stood the test of time". Some New Zealanders feel attached to the flag as it has been part of the country's history; these events are what give the flag its symbolic and emotional value rather than the instrinsic design itself. For example, all poll results from 2014 show that a large majority of the public are opposed to changing the flag or at least do not see it as a pressing issue.
• The Union Jack in the flag represents New Zealand's strong past and present ties to the United Kingdom and its history as a part of the British Empire, and the Southern Cross represents its location in the South Pacific.
• Proposals focus too much on Māori and Pacific designs when most of New Zealand's heritage, culture, linguistic background and political institutions are British derived.
• Generations of New Zealanders have fought and died under it during many battles. Changing the flag would thus be disrespectful to their efforts and sacrifice. Note that the first time the Flag of New Zealand was flown in battle was from the HMS Achilles during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939. However, New Zealand flags were flown in World War I, such as the Quinn's Post New Zealand flag, flown during the Gallipoli campaign. Rhys Jones, former chief of the New Zealand Defence Force, noted that the flag has already been changed during New Zealand's history, and a salient legacy of the Gallipoli campaign was discussion of the nation's independent identity.