[caption caption="Four Grandfinalists Designs Submitted"][/caption]Can you make any difference between Australian flag and one from New Zealand when your eyes on the map? Guess the answer is No. NZ's Prime Minister John Key has just announced four shortlisted finalists of the country's new design of national flag, known as #nzflag by netizens.
Three of them with the silver fern, another one with the black and white Koru, these unofficial icon are widely adapted into the new designs. The four grandfinalists have topped over 10,000 designs submitted for the national quest. The current NZ flag however, with traditional Union Jack on the top corner - marks British legacy and commonwealth of the nations, and four southern Cross constellation which looks similarly to Australian flag. Besides, Silver Fern has already becoming national icon since years. NZ's national soccer team are proudly put it on. And most importantly, it brings the spirit of Maori, the value of surroundings and creation.
The people of NZ have been really much concerned on thia issue. New Zealanders would be given the choices to vote in a planned referendum somewhere between November or December, this year, as announced by Deputy Prime Minister Bill English at the Museum Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, Tuesday (9/1) morning.
However, despite the national enthusiasm on this flag design quest, #nzflag panel is accused by lack of transparency, abandoned people's involvement on flag's shortlisting. The race is however just the matter of PM Key's personal taste. Panels claimed they have involved over one million New Zealanders by social media, for the process.But what if we hear directly the opinion from our New Zealand friend Ms. Sammi Curtis. Here is the short interview with her:
R: Hi Sammi, Kia Ora! How are you doing? How’s New Zealand?
S: Kia Ora! Lovely thank you! It’s a bit chilly down here but spring is here and it’s finally warming up a little
R: So how’s the new flag competition. Did you participate?
S: The flag competition has been very interesting!  To be honest I felt as though it came right out of left field, but a lot of people saw it coming a mile off!  I think it’s a very strange (and risky) thing for a Prime Minister experiencing diminishing popularity to undertake but he’s done it and I suppose we have to live with it!  No I didn’t participate in the design a new flag stage (you’ll see why shortly!) but I will certainly be participating in the next stage (the referendum)
R: Do you like all new designs proposed?
S: My answer to this question is simply NO but only because I do not want the flag to change!  If I had to choose out of the four flags that have been shortlisted by the panel I would chose the red and blue, with the white fern and four stars (the southern cross), but only if I HAD to – which I don’t.  I will be voting to keep our blue, red and white flag of the Union Jack and Southern Cross.  Thousands of men and women have died for this flag  it is a flag that represents one of the most forward thinking, environmentally friendly and history rich nations in the world.  There are so many arguments for and against but at the end of the day the flag is our national identity and it would be such a shame to try and reinvent a new one for absolutely no reason.
R: In your opinion, would you pick Southern Cross, Fern, or a Kiwi??