Silver fern flag still a winner for some Kiwis

New Zealand may have voted to keep the original flag in the recent referendum, but many are continuing to fly the alternative design.

Trevor Simpson, a self-employed New Plymouth resident, 56, said he has never flown the existing national flag, but flies the blue and black Kyle Lockwood-design at his home now.

“I’ve had it flying at home for over two months and I love it. You just look at it and get a little bit excited about it and think that’s really making a statement. That’s saying, ‘Kiwi, that’s what we’re about’,” said Mr Simpson.

Mr Simpson said he thinks Kiwis have missed the opportunity to make a change.

“I’m a realist, we had the opportunity, and I don’t think it’s going to come around again for a long, long time. It’s a massive opportunity missed.”

Liz Kyle, a retired Hokitika resident, 69, agreed with Mr Simpson’s views, and continues to fly the losing flag as the silver fern symbolises New Zealanders.

“If you look at all of our sports teams, they all have the silver fern on them. I mean we don’t call the Silver Fern netballers the Union Jacks.”

However, RNZ Returned Services Association (RSA) National President BJ Clark said people should be proud of their heritage and flag, and stop flying the second choice.

Mr Clark said he knows individual veterans who would rather have died than flown the alternative flag.

“Veterans or those that have served quite often have a flag on their coffin. Even if the alternative flag had been selected, I certainly wouldn’t have had that on my coffin, I would have had the current flag on it,” said Mr Clark.

“If [people] are trying to fly [the silver fern version] saying ‘This is now my flag’, well then I think they need to take a look at themselves a wee bit,” he added.

“It was a choice, it came second, it lost the referendum.

“You either accept the decision or you’re going to have a pretty sad life I think,” he added.

Mr Clark said the RSA would have embraced the change if the vote had gone to the silver fern design, as continuing to fly a flag that was not a country’s official flag would be “completely wrong”.