Ross Jami-Lee: New Zealand Flag Referendums Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRoss Jami-Lee: New Zealand Flag Referendums Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee[Sitting date: 23 September 2015. Volume:709;Page:6969. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany): Annette King I think knows a lot better than that because it was not that long ago that Andrew Little was standing up and seeking leave to introduce his own bill to do exactly what we are trying to do here which is to give New Zealanders the fifth option the Red Peak design in which through social media—and the media have been campaigning on it—a strong interest has been shown. We will find out just exactly how strong that interest is once New Zealanders get the opportunity to vote not too long in the future.New Zealanders should have that opportunity to vote. For Labour members to be opposing this bill crying crocodile tears and saying everything is a disaster when they were trying to do something very similar not that long ago is I think quite deplorable. This bill which we are debating today under urgency is all about giving New Zealanders that opportunity to vote. We have an established process. We have a process whereby there will be a two-stage referendum. That has been debated in this Parliament and has been voted on. It has been communicated to the public for many many months and that is exactly what is going to happen.In fact having the option to vote on the flag has been debated for well over a year. The Prime Minister raised this before the election. Labour members say that we are going against the wishes of New Zealanders. Well I point out firstly that that is something we will find out for sure in a few months’ time and secondly that we had an election campaign. Labour members continue to stand up in this House and complain about things that we are doing as a Government when we said before the election we would be doing exactly that. Do elections not mean anything to the Opposition members anymore? Do they not care about the outcome of election campaigns? Do they not think that statements made before election campaigns should have any credibility? We do. We said that we would be doing this and that is exactly what we are doing. I have to say I am not a fan of Red Peak myself. I think it is an unusual collection of coloured triangles that I will certainly not be voting for but if there is strong interest in it—and this has been demonstrated—then that is what New Zealanders should have an opportunity to vote on and they will get that opportunity.Before I sit down I want to say that the Green Party should be congratulated on playing this with a straight bat. They have done that on this occasion. We cannot say the same for all of the parties sitting on that side. Well New Zealand First has been consistent the whole way through and the Greens have been playing this one with a straight bat. But the Labour Party is flip-floppingagain. It is saying one thing but a few weeks ago it was doing something completely different. There are parties on that side that have integrity and I congratulate them on that. We believe that New Zealanders should have the choice and that is what we are giving them here.