The Flag debate is over. It begs the question…What debate? A vote on an aesthetic
choice did not generate the argument I expected. Where were the poets, artists, philosophers, indigenous
leaders and lawmakers of NZ? We live in a time where the concern of corporate
influence on the structure of the state and international responsibility is
very real for most citizens, myself included. Should this not have been the
context of arguing how our nation will be perceived in the future? Should a Flag
not arrive from rigorous criticism of our values and the global perception of
those values? I am no clearer today than before the flag debate of what NZ’s
thinkers and leaders have to say about independence, freedom, justice, state,
our Treaty and our international identity. As a result of this outcome, for me,
the flag debate failed.
After the First World War Woodrow Wilson traveled Europe
spreading the argument for independent nations rather than Empire. Empires were
blamed for that terrible conflict.
Across the globe new Independent nations were formed. With them came new
flags and identities. A rebranding exercise of Empire to Commonwealth saved the
British influence and strength for a time. There could be no clearer context though for designing a new
flag than independence. For the past 100 yrs the process of independence from
colonial roots has continued with new nations, invigorated constitutions and
with them new flags.
New Zealand remained part of the commonwealth and does to
this day. Though we no longer identify with Great Britain any urgency that might have existed to announce that has gone. There seems little
desire for an independence that many perceive we have already achieved through
time and patience rather than through conflict or abrupt change. As a nation we are not without our
shames and failures. We can though take pride in being leaders in indigenous
settlement claims and civil rights. Our relative small size has seen us become early
adopters to change if not instigators of it. Have we not thrived in all fields of social, cultural, scientific
and business excellence? It seems though there is a growing misconception that
we get where we are through passivity. Do we now wear ‘Not rocking the boat’ as
a badge of pride? I think remaining with our old flag is a reflection of that
passivity. I also believe the
leadership behind the campaign left us with no other choice. I had hoped we
would hear stories on how change, excellence and nation forming were earned
rather than given. Surely we are not without our struggles and conflict? I had
hoped we would be arguing who we are, that the world would have listened and
the chosen flag would have reflected a robust sense of self.
I consider myself an artist and designer. My area of
experience is in creating cinematic spaces in support of storytelling. I am no
expert in statehood or history. I had hoped others would bring this
conversation forward. I looked forward to learning something. I am experienced in designing spaces
that can hold the value of complex ideas and stories and I looked forward criticizing
a Flag design from that perspective.
For a graphic artist the flag could have been this same opportunity. Sadly
no complex ideas and values were ever presented. The challenge a NZ artist
could have risen to wasn’t given. This reflects a great lack in leadership. Not
leadership in design but rather leadership in debate and ideas which was the
responsibility of the Government that instigated the debate.
I would like to think that if the debate had been one of our
values against our place on the international stage the resulting flag design would
have been inconsequential. It would have been ours. Aesthetic value wouldn’t matter.
We wouldn’t discuss liking this one or that. We wouldn’t consider good and bad.
We would simply agree on it being right. ‘Right’ to fly a new flag based upon a
reinvigorated belief in ‘who we are’ as a nation of people. I haven’t learnt any
more of who we are or where we are heading therefore it seems only natural to
me that the flag remain the same. I
wanted change but I was never left with the self-belief that we had earned it. I
certainly wasn’t offered a design that expressed any such achievement. I
suspect though that we have earned it, many times over in fact. Sadly the leaders that bought us the flag
discussion didn’t seem ready to have our values questioned or perhaps their
values questioned in a way that would have taken us there. They left the debate to chance which in
my opinion is the equivalent of no leadership at all.
It is fair to criticize John Key. This was an opportunity to
give voice to a debate that could resonate around the world and strengthen our
identity. It could have been an avenue to educate ourselves and others. Instead
it became a discussion on ‘what we like’. With all our core beliefs put to the
side ‘what we like’ just didn’t seem all that important and neither did a new
flag,
