Flagging it

Opinion piece by Simon Keller, a professor of Philosophy at Victoria University of Wellington, which suggests getting rid of the New Zealand flag altogether.

I can understand why so many New Zealanders are eager to be rid of our present flag, but I cannot understand the earnestness with which they argue that getting a new flag will show that New Zealand has come into its own. Canada replaced its colonial flag in 1965, with three stripes and a picture of a leaf. The suggestion is if we do what Canada did 50 years ago – with different colours and perhaps a picture of a different plant – that will show the world that we, too, are independent and mature.

The truth is that in 2014, a debate about which symbol and array of colours should represent all New Zealanders is about as anachronistic as the union jack flag we are so keen to replace. Any new flag will either exclude some legitimate New Zealand experiences or be so bland that it means nothing. If we are really to see this as a modern and forward-looking discussion, we need to focus on finding new ways of thinking.

Here is my suggestion. Abandon the present flag, but don’t replace it. No flag. It is difficult to imagine at first, but just think of the possibilities. New Zealand could be the first country in the world to move beyond the need for a national flag. We could show the world that we don’t need a flag to be confident and independent.

To put the suggestion another way: many flags. We could still have the fun of waving flags and supporting our country, but it would be up to us which flag to wave on what occasions. The All Blacks and the Olympic team might choose to fly the black flag with the silver fern. At other times another symbol might be more appropriate. Great. Be whoever you want to be.

You might complain that we need one official flag to fly over Parliament and to sit behind at the United Nations. But we don’t. One option is simply to have no flag in such places; an advantage is that any empty flag pole in the world just might be a symbol of New Zealand. Alternatively, we could fly a flag with a blank background (of whatever colour is most convenient) on which is displayed the words “New Zealand” (in whatever font is most convenient). When flying a flag overseas, we could even display the words “New Zealand” in the local language, showing some sensitivity to others’ needs and eliminating any possibility that we will be mistaken for Australia.

Think of the message we would send. We are comfortable with ourselves and our place in the world. We don’t need an official national flag to know who we are, any more than we need an official national dish or an official national costume.

Note: The above letter was published by the Listener in April 2014.