English Bill: New Zealand Flag Referendums Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeEnglish Bill: New Zealand Flag Referendums Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 13 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:5812. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister): I move That the New Zealand Flag Referendums Bill be now read a third time. This bill will give New Zealanders the opportunity for the first time ever to vote on the flag that represents them and their country. We made a commitment as a Government ahead of the last election and this bill delivers on that commitment for a referendum on the flag.The first of two postal referendums will soon be held over a 3-week period from late November and into December. I just remind the House about the process that was put in place of which this legislation is part. Early on the Government with the assistance of a cross-party group of MPs set up the Flag Consideration Panel. It was resourced by the Government but in every other respect it has been operating independently and has now through a process of public engagement particularly through its website produced a long list of 40 flags.The members of the cross-party group took quite an interest in the legislation and made a number of comments during the Committee stage questioning whether officials had acted properly in the advice that they gave to the cross-party group. I just want to put on the record that I have no concerns about the roles that officials have played. Cabinet made a decision in October 2014 about the process and the budget for this project. The decisions were announced publicly at the time and the Cabinet paper and minute were made immediately available online. So the process has at all times stressed the independence of the Flag Consideration Panel and the transparency of any decision making around it. I want to thank the cross-party group for their contribution to this bill.Consensus recommendations of the cross-party group are determining the planned referendum dates the preferential voting system used in the first referendum the number of alternative flags on the first referendum voting paper and the approach to regulating referendum advertising. The bill contains the measures required for the referendum process to progress. This includes setting out the postal voting processes of the two referendums and a promoter statement requirement for those who are publishing referendum advertising. The bill also has measures for implementing the new flag if voters decide to change the flag and they are separate and parallel to the work the Flag Consideration Panel has been operating.The panel has now released a long list of alternative flag designs and we look forward to them accomplishing what must be a difficult task of selecting from those 40 flags four flags for the purposes of the first referendum. Now that the process for underpinning the referendums—the passage of this bill—will be complete I think that the public debate over the flag is likely to rise a few notches in intensity but also in relevance to what the flag is about. Up until now it has been dominated to some extent at least by criticism about the amount of money that is being spent. There has been quite a bit of expression of views by people who have every right to oppose any change whatsoever and oppose the opportunity for the public to make a choice which seems a bit odd given that that opposition has come mainly from the most populist party in Parliament New Zealand First which in every other respect believes we should have referendums on everything. But apparently on this when it comes to putting New Zealand first New Zealand First members do not believe that New Zealanders are capable of exercising a choice about the flag. It is almost as bizarre as the Labour Party position which is to support a change in the flag but oppose a referendum and not vote in it.Clearly we are heading out of those swirling political waters fortunately to the sunny uplands where New Zealanders will get to decide what kind of symbol they regard stands best for their country and their own sense of identity. I look forward to a robust debate in that respect because as the Flag Consideration Panel found out there is a wide range of associations that New Zealanders have between the name of their country and their flag and the values that they think it represents. I would imagine that the discussion about the choice of the flag will represent that wide range of associations. And then there is the sheer difficulty of understanding the intuitive connections. If you think New Zealand is about equality or fairness or freedom what does that look like on a flag? Of course there will be extensive debate about the balance of representation of our history rich as it is and our future aspirational as that is.In my capacity as a member of the House I want to acknowledge the role the Prime Minister has played in bringing about this legislation and in fact the referendum. Leadership is always challenging and there is no doubt that he has been challenged in his desire to see this debate occur. But I have absolutely no doubt that in pushing this issue forward he is showing the qualities of leadership and a fundamental belief that New Zealanders should have this opportunity. The logic is pretty simple: New Zealanders have gained in confidence about their economic capacity and about their place in the world. It is a hard-won confidence through various controversies and recessions and internal political debate and there is a unique opportunity now for people to choose how that confidence should be expressed.The Prime Minister was at the time he raised this issue almost uniquely aware of the need for that opportunity. But the debate that we will see from here I think will see many New Zealanders grasp that opportunity with two hands and express their views. I would counsel the Leader of the Opposition to change his position—he does not usually have much difficulty in doing that—on not voting in the referendum. Even if he is opposed to change there is a fundamental legitimacy about a referendum as a way of deciding it. Opting out seems to me to be the worst response to the challenge. Get in and argue—have a different point of view try to persuade others. But for a political leader to say “Well I’m not going to participate.” is actually letting down his party and letting down his role.I look forward to the expression of the will of the people even if the New Zealand First Party fears it. I think it will be good for New Zealand to have this debate and who knows—if the alternative is good enough many of us just might vote for it.