New Zealand will vote on whether to change its flag in March after a run-off competition produced an official contender. It has a blue and black background with a white fern and the traditional four red stars representing the Southern Cross. Opinion seems to be widely divided in the island nation with as many as 49 percent of the electorate coming out to vote on which contender would be the final choice against the current New Zealand flag. The issue for a sizeable number of New Zealanders is the inclusion of the United Kingdom’s Union Jack in the dominant upper left hand corner. It has been the flag since colonial beginnings and throughout New Zealand’s self-governing lifetime. Turnout was around 1.5 million. Many people are unhappy about the cost of the project, some NZ$26 million (about $24 million Canadian). The election will no doubt be watched by the many New Zealand expatriates living in Toronto.
