New Zealand has voted to keep their current flag, featuring the Union Jack of the United Kingdom.
In a second flag referendum, the current design won the majority with 56.6% of the vote, against the chosen blue, black and white version, seen below.
The design of the national flag had been questioned because the flag of the UK features in the Kiwi flag, due to the former Empire and colonisation of the islands. Some felt the flag did not represent the people, instead an annex of Britian.
The UK and New Zealand still share a Monarch.
Other proposed flags, all of which featured the New Zealand fern, had been whittled down to one contender for the new design. These lost with 43.2% of the vote.
2.1 millions New Zelanders voted in the referendum, which was a 67% turn out.
Prime Minister John Key told the people following the decision: ‘Use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it.’
He was however, a supporter of a new flag and was disappointed with the result but respected the decision of the people. Key said that the National Government will not revisit the issue under his leadership.
Deputy PM Bill English also agreed: ‘We should all embrace that decision.’
