The Flag: Red Peak and the Political Sandpit
Already I’ve banged on (and on) enough about Red Peak, so I’ll be very brief.
There is broad parliamentary consensus that popular enthusiasm for the Aaron Dustin designed flag means it warrants a place on the shortlist. Labour agree, the Greens agree, so does the Maori Party and ACT. And National, too. John Key said this week he was “more than happy to add Red Peak on to the ballot paper”.
And yet in stark contrast to the non-partisan, constructive, creative approach pursued by most of those backing the Red Peak campaign, the two main parties have reduced it all to a he-said, she-said playground squabble, two toddlers arguing over a toy.
If they agree it should go on the ballot, it should go on the ballot. If they can’t sort that out between them, a plague on both their houses.
Toby Manhire
Toby Manhire is editor-at-large at The Spinoff. He loves to cast a pod, whether it's Gone By Lunchtime, At Large or Juggernaut. He is a former editor of The Spinoff and has worked as a journalist in NZ and the UK since the last millennium.
