2015–16 New Zealand flag referendums between the selected alternative (the Silver Fern Flag) and the existing New Zealand flag. The final decision was to keep the current flag. Reception of the process was critical, with no great enthusiasm shown among the public. 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. In January 2014, Prime Minister John Key floated the idea of a referendum on a new flag
New Zealand flag debate and decide on a final shortlist of four suitable options for the first referendum. Public consultation took place between May and June 2015. As part of the public engagement process, flag designs and symbolism/value suggestions were solicited until 16 July, which resulted in a total of 10,292 design suggestions. From the submitted designs, the Flag Consideration Panel selected an initial longlist of 40 (publicly revealed on 10 August), then a final shortlist of 4 (publicly revealed on 1 September) to contend in the first referendum. After public disappointment with the official shortlist, a social media campaign aimed to add the