Macindoe Tim: New Zealand Flag Referendums Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMacindoe Tim: New Zealand Flag Referendums Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee[Sitting date: 23 September 2015. Volume:709;Page:6972. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): There has been a great deal in the contribution of Hon Trevor Mallard that I would like to refute but I am going to start by saying that the process we are following here is on the basis of the best advice provided by officials who are independent of the Government. That is a very important process.The second thing that I would like to put on record is the fact that just before and in fact after the dinner adjournment Mr Mallard attacked the Green Party. Well could I simply say to the Green Party that tonight I salute you for the fact that I think you have been both constructive and pragmatic in trying to find a very sensible way forward to ensure that the vast majority of people in New Zealand can feel positive about this process—particularly Gareth Hughes whom I know has worked hard and under some time pressure. I want to acknowledge him and thank him for that constructive approach.Mr Mallard made the point or rather he suggested that 70 percent of New Zealanders do not want this option. I can only assume he did that on the basis of the poll that showed 69 percent would retain the current flag. But what he of course was quite disingenuously ignoring is the fact that his party and our National Party went to the election last year with a policy that we would have exactly the process that we are now having and three out of four New Zealanders voted for this process so in fact more than 70 percent supported exactly what we are doing here. That is far more important because that is the people of New Zealand having their say in a general election.Could I say how disappointed I was this afternoon to hear the contribution of Ron Mark in the general debate. When a member of this House suggests that the Red Peak flag is a Nazi symbol I think he is hitting a new low. There is absolutely no one in this House not one member who has any Nazi sympathies whatsoever. To suggest that is an argument is so intellectually and morally bereft that frankly that member should not be here at all. To resort to that sort of argument shows that he really had no argument at all.I have also been very disappointed to hear Labour and some New Zealand First members attack the integrity of the Flag Consideration Panel. When you have people of the high standing and enormous contribution to our country of Professor John Burrows Sir Brian Lochore Beatrice Faumuina the former Chief of Defence Force Rhys Jones and all the other fine New Zealanders on the very representative panel of New Zealanders who served with them being attacked by Opposition members I think it is a very sad day indeed.I want to thank them for the terrific service they have given to our nation across a whole range of activities but particularly in this particular exercise which I think they have approached with diligence and integrity. They deserve to be respected and thanked not chastised and demeaned in this House.There are other things that I would like to say. Let me just finish tonight by pointing out that I am wearing a badge that is 113 years old. Underneath the stylised poppy that we all now know—and that intriguingly has the silver fern on it which recognises that it is the silver fern on the graves of New Zealanders who have served and died in battle—I am also wearing a badge that belonged to my grandfather Charles Grierson Macindoe. He as a very young man went to the Boer War. It will not surprise members to hear that I never met my grandfather; he died long before I was born. But at the end of his service he was given this silver fern and along with his Boer War medals which I wore proudly on Anzac Day for the first time this year this Boer War badge has a silver fern with “South Africa” written across it. It must be at least 113 years old. That is why I personally am so strongly in favour of seeing the silver fern on our flag.But tonight we are acknowledging the fact that there is a significant number of New Zealanders who have said they want a bit more variety in the choice in the referendum process. The Greens have picked that up and worked constructively with the Government. I am delighted to support this measure and I thank them for their good work.