The accidental flag
Fascinating history in the NZ Herald of how Canada chose its flag:
One day historian George Stanley was walking with John Matheson, a Liberal MP on the committee, when he looked up and saw the Royal Military College flag and its vertical panels of red-white-red, with the college crest of a fist in the middle.
“There, John, is your flag,” he said.
Mr Matheson recalls the moment: “I remarked that Canadians would not accept a mailed fist symbol. He said, ‘No, I mean with a red maple leaf in the place of the college crest’.”
Mr Matheson was immediately taken with it, but had to sneak it into the committee room to add it to the wall alongside the other proposals.
The committee firstly rejected the red ensign 10 votes to four.
They then had to vote on Pearson’s Pennant, the red maple leaf ensign and the Union Jack or fleur-de-lis. When the latter was voted out, it was clear that the new flag would not have a Union Jack.
The Conservatives assumed the Liberals would vote for the Prime Minister’s design, and they wanted the vote to be as inconclusive as possible, so they voted for the red maple leaf ensign which, to their horror, was the unanimous choice.
The quirks of history.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Hey everybody look at this flag. Dont look at our declining standard of living, ignore our broken promise, look at this shiny new flag!!!
Coming soon, bread and circuses.
Pardon my cynicism, first coffee still kicking in.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:31 am
“The Conservatives assumed the Liberals would vote for the Prime Minister’s design, and they wanted the vote to be as inconclusive as possible”
The usual demonstration of what cocks politicians can be!
February 9th, 2010 at 7:34 am
Maybe our new flag should have as it’s centrepeice an outstretched hand…
February 9th, 2010 at 7:49 am
The red and while panels on the Canadian flag were also their identification colours in WWII (on shoulder flashes, vehicles etc).
February 9th, 2010 at 8:30 am
The Canadian flag looks like two people in profile arguing which is entirely appropriate.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:47 am
It’s not a question of having a “new” flag. We have an official flag, and various representations of a silver fern flag that is widely used. The All Blacks are just one example – NZ Olympics and NZ Football (soccer) are two other high profile ones.
So a silver fern on black background is a de facto symbol of recognition and national pride for us already, and has been for a long time.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:53 am
Air new Zealand koru and be done with it, I say.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Any chance we could sort out a written constitution before turning to the cosmetics of flags? I’m so sick of this “debate”.
February 9th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Bet Diefenbaker didn’t vote for the maple leaf!
February 9th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
It’s fairly clear from the Close Up poll that when we do change our flag, it’ll be to a silver fern design.
So the question then becomes: which style of fern?
Vote in a poll of four fern designs here: http://johnansell.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/fern-favourite-but-which-fern/
Better still, paste the poll into your blog, Facebook page etc.
February 11th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
No flag debate ever goes by without mention of the Canadian flag.
Michael Jones said it well. THe NZ flag inspired him to greater rugby.
He’s worth more than all the anti NZ politicians put together. Like Michael Cullen who said Kiwi’s have to get over the number 8 wire mentality. that would stop us being Kiwi’s!
What a traitor him and republican ilk are.
Once the crown is taken away, our protections and rights will disappear the same day.
As Leighton Smith said, the Cashless society will take away all rights and leave us to the cruel mercies of the beaureaucrats. Electronic currency can be switched off at a whim.
No wonder the pollies never talk about the cashless society.