2015–16 New Zealand flag referendums design well-liked by supporters of changing the New Zealand flag who disapprove of the silver fern flag and other similar proposed designs. Despite not being selected by the official Flag Consideration Panel, the Red Peak design was supported by a grassroots social media campaign. An online petition to support inclusion of the flag design as an option for the referendum gained support from 50,000 petitioners in fewer than two weeks, and was handed over to Parliament by David Seymour on 16 September 2015. On 23 September, the Green Party MP Gareth Hughes attempted to introduce a bill to parliament to
Independence of New Zealand Kingdom, though there was provision for cases commenced before then to remain subject to the right of appeal. Although the current New Zealand flag remains a popular symbol of New Zealand, there are proposals from time to time for the New Zealand flag to be changed. Proponents of a new flag argued "[t]he current New Zealand Flag is too colonial and gives the impression that New Zealand is still a British colony and not an independent nation." Two referendums were held on the flag in 2015 and 2016, with a 56% majority voting to keep the current flag. The monarch—who