Flag of New Zealand flag has often arisen in connection with the issue of republicanism in New Zealand. The Southern Cross constellation is depicted on the flags of other former British colonies, such as the flag of Australia—although in Australia's case there are six all-white stars, while New Zealand's four stars have red centres. The Australian and New Zealand flags are often mistaken for each other, and this confusion has been cited as a reason for adopting a different design. Debate on keeping or changing the New Zealand flag started before May 1973, when a remit to change the flag was voted down by
New Zealand flag debate New Zealand flag debate New Zealand has a history of debate about whether the national flag should be changed. For several decades, alternative designs have been proposed, with varying degrees of support. There is no consensus among proponents of changing the flag as to which design should replace the flag. Unlike in Australia, the flag debate in New Zealand is occurring independently of debate about becoming a republic. The New Zealand Parliament held a two-stage binding referendum on a flag change in 2015 and 2016. Voters chose to retain the current flag, by a vote of 56.6% to 43.1%. Proponents