Yahoo Finance 
New Zealand is voting on a new flag — and the 4 designs have the country in a tizzy
(govt.nz)
New Zealand will vote on a potential new flag in a country-wide referendum in November. On Tuesday, the Flag Consideration panel revealed the four designs that will appear on the ballot, to decidedly mixed reviews.
Here's the current flag:
(Wikimedia Commons)
Since New Zealand's flag looks so similar to Australia's, there has been a movement to adopt a new one:
How many billboards like this, all over the planet, would $26million have got us? #nzflag pic.twitter.com/9oypL7enaT
— Tim Kong (@timoslimo) September 1, 2015
The four finalists were whittled down from 10,000 submissions. Three of the designs feature the silver fern — New Zealand's national symbol — while the fourth depicts a black and white Koru, a Maori symbol that represents an unfurling fern.
The four finalists:
1. Koru
(govt.nz)
2. Silver Fern (black, white, and blue)
(govt.nz)
3. Silver Fern (red, white, and blue)
(govt.nz)
4. Silver Fern (black and white)
(govt.nz)
Some New Zealanders are upset with the four finalists, which they say are boring and lack variety.
"It's nothing short of a national disgrace that the same flag clipart eats up half of the available final slots," wrote Karl Puschmann of the NZ Herald.
"If you're going to give a nation of four million people a choice you've got to give variety," designer Thomas Le Bas said on Radio New Zealand.
Voters will pick one of the four flag designs in a referendum in November. Whichever flag wins will go up against the current flag in a second vote in March to decide if New Zealand gets a new flag.
The NZ Herald reports that 53% of voters are against changing the flag. According to iPredict NZ, a market-based prediction model, the likelihood of the flag changing "plummeted" to 30% after the four finalists were announced. There's now a 67% chance the country keeps the old one, according to the model.
With the country spending a reported $26 million on the votes, people are in a tizzy over what they say is an uninspiring set of options.
Wow. What a sad and disappointing outcome. The best result I can see now is keeping the status quo. Such a lost opportunity. 😥💩 #nzflag
— Rowan Simpson (@rowansimpson) August 31, 2015
$26M #nzflag shows Key's drunk on his own personality cult. Last NZ politician this drunk on power was Muldoon. And he was actually drunk.
— Graham Cameron (@mvlgrimace) September 1, 2015
#NZFlag panel sitting with politicians & kids waving 4 godawful flags was our own Kiwi version of the Simpsons monorail episode
— 2Tapu (@2TAPU) September 1, 2015
The final 4. Looking gud NooZulund! #nzflag pic.twitter.com/P6T3KgS5hE
— Paul Be (@paulsbradley) September 1, 2015
Wow, the 4 NZ flag designs are all AWFUL. Super dull designs. Money well spent all round! #nzflag #NZflag #wasteofmoney
— Ellybelly (@eleanorlerning) September 1, 2015
I am so disappointed with my country. Such a lack of variety and imagination. #doyouevendesign #nzflag http://t.co/rGiR0pXwnM
— Simon Lindsay (@simonlindsay) September 1, 2015
It's like trying to choose NZ's best wine from a lineup of anodyne house blends. #nzflag
— Jeremy Hansen (@_jeremyhansen) September 1, 2015
The major news outlets have made a mistake, here are the actual final 4 flag designs... #NZFlag pic.twitter.com/22meOgIY8e
— Local Auckland (@LocalAuckland) September 1, 2015
Are they really that bad?
NOW WATCH: More trouble for Subway's Jared Fogle...
More From Business Insider
