Flag Consideration Panel members announced
The Government has appointed 12 New Zealanders as members of the Flag Consideration Panel which will engage with the
public about a possible new New Zealand flag, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English says.
The panel will be chaired by former deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Canterbury Emeritus Professor John
Burrows, ONZM, QC of Christchurch who was co-chair of the Constitutional Advisory Panel. Writer and reviewer Kate de
Goldi of Wellington will be the deputy chair of the Flag Consideration Panel.
The other 10 members are:
Nicky Bell – CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand and board director, Auckland
Peter Chin, CNZM – Former Mayor of Dunedin, director and trustee, Dunedin
Julie Christie, ONZM – Director of Julie Christie Inc. and board member, Auckland
Rod Drury – CEO of Xero and technology entrepreneur, Havelock North
Beatrice Faumuina, ONZM – Olympian, Commonwealth gold medallist, ASB Head of Talent & People Strategy, board member and trustee, Waitakere
Lt Gen (Rtd) Rhys Jones, CNZM – Former Chief of NZ Defence Force, Wellington
Stephen Jones – Invercargill Youth Councillor, Invercargill
Sir Brian Lochore, ONZ, KNZM, OBE – Former All Blacks captain, coach and administrator, Masterton
Malcolm Mulholland – Academic and flag historian, Palmerston North
Hana O’Regan – Academic, Māori studies and te reo Māori, Christchurch
“Many New Zealanders were considered for the panel following nominations by a cross-party group of MPs,” Mr English
said.
“I am pleased with the panel’s independence, calibre and experience and each member has committed to undertake the flag
consideration process carefully, respectfully and with no presumption in favour of change.”
The panel will hold its first meeting in early March. It will:
• Consider and oversee a public engagement process to begin in May.
•
• Invite New Zealanders to send in designs or ideas regarding a possible alternative flag.
•
• Shortlist designs for the first postal referendum, which will be held this year using a preferential voting
system, inviting voters to rank the designs in order of preference.
The winning design will run off against the current New Zealand flag in a second, binding referendum to be held next
year using the First Past the Post voting system. A New Zealand Flags Referendums Bill containing these measures will be
introduced to Parliament shortly.
“This process will give New Zealanders the rare privilege of having a say on one of the most important symbols of our
nation,” Mr English says.
“I hope New Zealanders will take the opportunity to listen and talk to each other and consider the design suggestions
that come forward before making their minds up and taking part in the referendums.”
ends