Laser Kiwi flag

The Laser Kiwi flag (originally Fire the Lazar) is a flag made by Lucy Gray in 2015 for the 2015–2016 New Zealand flag referendums.

History
Lucy Gray, a former ACT Party candidate, made the flag in Microsoft Paint one evening. Australia's many deadly animals inspired her to make a kiwi deadly. She said the four flags from the first stage of the referendum had little meaning to her.

The flag became popular on social media. Comedians (including John Oliver) have also talked about it. It features a New Zealand silver fern and a kiwi shooting a green laser beam from its eyes. Lucy Gray said "[t]he laser beam projects a powerful image of New Zealand. I believe my design is so powerful it does not need to be discussed."Humorous reference to a 2010 comment by ACT on Campus president Rick Giles. See  and  It has been joked that if New Zealand changed to that flag, it would cause "fear" in the country's enemies.

Over 10,000 flags were submitted to the referendums. This one was removed from consideration, and the current flag was kept.

Legacy
The flag remains popular. It has been used in some sports games and concerts in New Zealand and elsewhere, as well as New Zealand soldiers fighting in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Other flags in flag redesign contests have had animals with laser eyes, including those for the flag of Minnesota in 2023 (a loon) and the flag of Illinois in 2025 (a cardinal).

 References 

Category:Flags