MOSCOW, September 22 (RIA Novosti) - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said he wants to hold a referendum on changing the country’s national flag in 2015, Associated Press reports.
The flag depicts the Southern Cross star constellation, with Britain’s Union Jack in the upper-left corner. The proponents of the change point out that it bears too many similarities to Australia’s flag, and that it is a remnant of the colonial past that doesn’t reflect the country’s independence from Britain.
“I’m obviously a big supporter of the change, I think there are a lot of strong arguments in favour of the change,” Key said, according to The Guardian.
During the general election last Saturday, Key’s center-right National Party scored a decisive victory, securing him a third term in office.
However, despite his support for the new flag design, Key favors maintaining ties with the British monarchy, The Guardian notes.
