Beehive flag shows signs of wind wear

IT SHOULD be the proud fluttering symbol of the nation and the highest authority in the land.

But the flag on the Beehive looking a bit shabby.

From banker Leo Krippner’s eighth-floor office on The Terrace, the flag on top of the Beehive is not looking ‘‘too flash’’.

‘‘There is an obvious patch visible to all who look up on a sunny day,’’ Krippner said.

‘‘Parliament is the highest authority in the land. You would think it would deserve a new flag and not an obvious repair job.’’

He sent in questions to the Parliamentary Information Service, asking why the flag had a distinct rectangular outline in the bottomright corner and, if it was a repair, would it not be more appropriate to replace the flag.

He received the reply that the rectangular outline was indeed a repair job. ‘‘Due to strong winds, the flag . . . is often damaged, and to save costs, the flags are repaired where possible,’’ Information Service officer Beth Wishart wrote. ‘‘Once the flag is beyond reasonable repair, we replace it.’’

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