Dean Jacqui: New Zealand Flag Referendums Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDean Jacqui: New Zealand Flag Referendums Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee[Sitting date: 23 September 2015. Volume:709;Page:6964. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki): You know you have to hand it to the Green Party which has played this amendment with a very straight bat. It has listened to public opinion which has been running pretty red hot around Red Peak. There has been an awful lot of discussion online and there has been discussion through all sorts of the media and it really has set this process even more alight than it already was. So in this instance I want to congratulate the member in charge the member who attempted to introduce this bill which was regrettably blocked by New Zealand First but which has the support of the rest of the House. I want to say congratulations to the Green Party because it was prepared to have an open mind in this debate. It was prepared to listen to what was happening out in New Zealand about this debate and so too has this Government. We have been prepared to listen to what the people have had to say about this flag debate we have been prepared to support this bill this simple little bill that previously was brought to the House by Gareth Hughes the Green member and we are prepared to add another option on to the referendum paper.It seems like such a simple thing to do and it is a simple thing to do because what we have done is said: “Yes OK.” Under the consideration process the panel has put up four alternatives which is what was prescribed in the first referendums Act. What the people of New Zealand have said is: “Yeah OK all right. There are probably some quite good options in there and we all have our favourites—or not.” But what the people of New Zealand have then said is “Well actually there is another one that we really like.” and they have been prepared to get out there and to support that choice. So let us do it. Let us give the people of New Zealand an extra choice in the second referendum. All we really need to look at is the schedule which has added another option. Option A option E—who knows—it will be one of those. I think it is an elegant solution I think it is a simple solution and I do congratulate the Greens on bringing that to the House.I also want to congratulate the other members of this Parliament who are supporting this initiative because this is about what we think about ourselves as New Zealanders. What says “New Zealand” to the rest of the world? That is what we should be arguing about today. That is where the debate is at: it is about where we see ourselves as New Zealand.Finally in this first contribution I just want to talk about the yes/no argument that has crippled Labour so badly throughout this process. It has had this argument; it has lost this argument. It did not have the support of the House. The House has moved on. The people of New Zealand have well and truly moved on from Labour’s position. Regrettably Labour has not and it will show that again and again and again throughout the course of this debate. What I say to Labour and what I say to the people of New Zealand is yes you do get the yes/no option but guess what? It is an informed choice and that is a good thing.