Political deal adds Red Peak to flag ballot

And then there were six - NZ’s future flag choices

The public will get to vote on the Red Peak flag in the November referendum, after the Government agreed to pick up a Greens bill.

Parliament went into extraordinary urgency on Wednesday to debate a Green Party bill on the Red Peak flag and it easily passed at the first and second readings.

Earlier, NZ First blocked a parliamentary move by Green MP Gareth Hughes to add Aaron Dustin’s popular design to the ballot and voiced 12 no votes to the bill’s introduction, but Prime Minister John Key said the Government would ‘‘probably’’ pick up the new bill. The bill’s second reading passed 109 votes for, and 12 votes against – again from NZ First.

Key is known to favour a silver fern design. ‘‘Doesn’t matter. It’s not about me. It’s not my favourite but it doesn’t matter. I’m one vote,’’ he told reporters. He also took a swipe at Labour, who he said had ‘‘hopelessly failed’’.

‘‘The Greens have showed some leadership . . . we’ve been waiting for Labour. They will continue to want to play games . . . the Greens are really trying to say to Labour ‘stop being pathetic’.’’

Labour leader Andrew Little said Kiwis are ‘‘disillusioned’’ with the lack of choice around the flag referendum.

‘‘In the end this is a process that has become so flawed, handled in such a shambolic fashion, all of the responsibility of which sits at John Key’s feet.’’

Green Party MP Gareth Hughes said: ‘‘My bill is about giving New Zealanders a choice following the groundswell of support for the Red Peak flag to be included in the upcoming flag referendum.

‘‘Regardless of whether MPs want to change the flag or not, the referendum is going ahead anyway so it may as well include an option many Kiwis want.

‘‘While there are clearly problems with the way the referendum has been handled, we also don’t think politics should get in the way of what people really want, which is more of a choice.’’

Hughes confirmed there will be no other referendum demands.

‘‘We won’t be supporting any changes other parties may put up to this Bill. We want to keep it simple and allow the opportunity for Red Peak to be included without re-litigating the whole referendum process.’’

Key had earlier said he would add the Aaron Dustin design with cross-party support. Labour would only agree if the Government added the question, ‘‘Should New Zealand keep its current flag, or change to another flag’’ to the first of two votes.

Labour leader Andrew Little asked to meet with Key, but his offer was declined.