Is this yet another super success story? First there
was hair pulling now there is flag waving:
Christchurch is New Zealand’s second
largest city…the
government would have spent at least or over fifty thousand dollars to hire a
site, ship in the star performers, pay for heaps of TV, newspaper and radio
ads, yet the people stayed away in their droves: The dreaming organisers laid
out hundreds of chairs in great anticipation of mass attendance…the highly paid
front-line and strange panel of experts[?] took their place on the stage and they
even delayed the kick off time in the vain hope that a much needed crowd to would save face
and would fill at least the front row…but alas, the Prime Ministers dream
project was to kick off with a fizz rather than a show piece event.
The Prime
Minister was keenly awaiting with great expectation in Wellington for the text news
with pictures, of the massive success of his wonderful and much beloved ‘Flag
changing policy’ that would see his royal imperative etched into the history of
New Zealand forever. His PR squad had fully drafted a public statement about
how delighted he was to see such a massive crowd turn out for this first public
discussion of his dazzling and brilliant news manufactured exercise. He had
practiced its presentation twice earlier in the day…getting feedback from Cam
Slater and Paul Henry…they said he sounded great [as they always do].
In fact
when he was informed by a anxious GCSB agent that the police numbers outside
the venue were double the size of the crowd, he turned a lighter shade of pale,
even lighter than when his wife told him to stop grabbing that waitresses pony
tail, and believe me that’s one hell of a pale shade of blue.
 |
| Massive crowd of five supports PMs change of flag meetings. |
The first of a series of
public meetings about the New Zealand flag referendum was held today in
Christchurch.
The hope is to encourage
public involvement in the process ahead of the vote, but hardly anyone turned
up.
The first
of a series of Hui around whether to change the New Zealand flag was noticeably
empty this afternoon – not what the Flag Consideration Panel hoped for the
national road show, which kicked off this weekend in Christchurch.
"Our panel is there
to get people engaged and talking about it ahead of the referendum, so that
when people come to vote on it they'll have an understanding of a) the process
and b) the issues involved," says Flag Consideration Panel chairperson
Professor John Burrows.
"It's the first
time in the history of this country that people have ever been asked officially
to consider their flag, and although we're not entirely sure of this it's one
of the first times in the history of the world," says Professor Burrows.
"I'm saddened at
one level that there seems to be quite a bit of reluctance to engage in the
conversation," says Hana O'Regan of the Flag Consideration Panel.
This whole
process is expected to cost upward of $25 million.
The road
show also chatted to the public in a major shopping mall.
But Denis
Hampton who takes to the streets every day to fly the current flag stole their
thunder when he said about the present flag:
"It has grown with
me and I'm well aware of its long history in New Zealand," says Mr
Hampton. "I see nothing wrong with it and I believe it's an excellent flag
for our country."
This is
the first of a number of hui to take place around the country. The final vote
by the public on the New Zealand flag is expected to take place early next
year.
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