New Zealand picks new flag design to challenge current flag

This undated illustration provided by the New Zealand Government shows a flag design; Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue) by Kyle Lockwood

The British Union Jack once symbolized the reach of a powerful empire — but it may need to yield soon to a delicate silver fern. At least on New Zealand’s flag.
New Zealand yesterday revealed the new flag design chosen by the public to be put up as a challenger to the current flag in a March vote.
The question of whether to change a national symbol that has endured for more than a century and harks back to a colonial past has raised plenty of passion, and skepticism, in this nation of 4.6 million.
People submitted more than 10,000 potential new flag designs, including bizarre ones like a kiwi bird shooting a green laser beam from its eye and a stick drawing of a deranged cat.
In the end, it came down to two flags by architectural designer Kyle Lockwood that featured the same design of a silver fern and four red stars, but with different background colors.
Results announced yesterday showed that Lockwood’s black and blue flag just edged his red and darker blue flag 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent in a runoff postal vote. Even the designer himself found it a tough choice. Nick Perry, Wellington, AP