ニュージーランドのキー首相は1月29日、国旗がオーストラリアと似ているとして、デザインの変更の是非を問う国民投票の実施を検討する考えを示した。ドミニオンポスト紙など地元メディアが報じた。
イギリス連邦加盟国であるニュージーランドの国旗には、イギリスとの関係を示すユニオンジャックが左上に描かれ、南半球で見られる南十字星を表す４つの赤い星が右側にデザインされている。オーストラリアの国旗はユニオンジャックに六つの白い星が描かれている。
キー首相は、ラグビーのニュージーランド代表・オールブラックスが使っているシダをあしらったデザインがふさわしいと述べた。NHKは次のように伝えた。
キー首相は、「個人的な考えである」と強調したうえで、ラグビーのニュージーランド代表、「オールブラックス」などが使用している「シルバー・ファーン」と呼ばれるシダのマークを入れるなどのデザインに変更したいという意向も示しました。
キー首相は主要閣僚と協議して、ことし後半にも行われる議会選挙に合わせて国民投票を行うかどうか最終判断するとしていて、今後、国旗のデザインについての論議が広がりそうです。
(NHKニュース「ＮＺ首相 国旗変更の国民投票行う考え」 2014/01/29 16:26)
これまでイギリス連邦加盟国では、カナダが、ユニオンジャックが描かれた国旗のデザインを変えた例がある。時事通信は次のように報じた。
英連邦加盟国では、1965年にカナダが英国旗が描かれた国旗を変更し、「メープルリーフ（カエデの葉）旗」を採用した例がある。
（時事ドットコム「さらばユニオンジャック？＝ＮＺ首相、国旗変更の方針」 2014/01/29 17:06）
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