New Zealand flag debate flag with a silver fern on the fly. The proposal attracted little support. In 1988, Minister of Foreign Affairs Russell Marshall made a call for a flag change, which also had little effect. The "New Zealand Listener" magazine held a flag design contest in 1989, attracting nearly 600 entries. Out of the seven semi-finalists, which included the national flag and the United Tribes Flag, the national flag won with a minority vote of 45.6%. In February 1992, the former Minister of Māori Affairs, Matiu Rata, called for a flag change "to re-establish our national identity". In 1998, Prime Minister Jenny
Flag of New Zealand the flag of New Zealand was flown in a naval battle and the first time officially in any battle, was from HMS "Achilles" during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939. With the Union Jack in its upper left-hand quarter, the flag still proclaims New Zealand's origins as a British colony. Some New Zealanders believe there should be a new flag which better reflects the country's independence, while others argue that the design represents New Zealand's strong past and present ties to the United Kingdom and its history as a part of the British Empire. Debate about changing the