Red Peak: Little just walks into Key’s trap

At his post cabinet press conference yesterday, John Key said he would consider a bill to put Red Peak on the flag referendum if Labour backed the idea (which he later clarified to cross-party backing, bar NZ First).

Some Beehive insiders thought Mr Key made the offer on the assumption that Labour leader Andrew Little would turn it down – and thus the blame for Red Peak’s exclusion would switch to Labour.

Mr Little should have called the prime minister’s bluff and simply said, “Yes, let’s put Red Peak on the ballot.”

Instead, the Labour leader offered a nuanced response, demanding an overhaul of the whole process.

I think he’s assuming that the whole process will fail and that it’s best to let Mr Key wear that failure.

Mr Little’s right that the prime minister’s pet legacy project will go down in flames. The old flag will almost certainly prevail at the second, run-off referendum given most of those who want change think the final four too bland. The $26 million bill will be an embarrassment. But by the 2017 general election, it will be old news.

Mr Little is missing a chance to take control of the referendum – and maybe – just maybe – play a key role in ushering in Red Peak as New Zealand's new flag. Now that would be an upset people would remember in 2017.

Most people will stop reading at this point, but for the record here’s what Mr Little had to say this morning. It makes sense as a logical argument, even if it’s too nuanced for the cut-and-thrust of daily politics.

“If he [John Key] just wants to put Red Peak in, he could do that if he takes one of the current four finalists out. He wouldn’t need any other parliamentary or political party backing to do that.

“If he wants to put Red Peak in as a fifth finalist, which I’m more than happy to support him on, I’m saying, let’s fix all the flaws in the process. We know a lot New Zealanders are complaining there is no question in the [first] referendum saying ‘Do you want a flag change or not?’ so, if he’s prepared to put that question into the first referendum, as well as Red Peak as a fifth finalist and then we go into the second referendum, I’ll back him 100%.

“Why would the prime minister do what he did yesterday? Because he knows public sentiment is very quickly fading on this. He needs change and he knows there’s this groundswell of support for Red Peak; I’ve been supporting Red Peak for some time by the way but I’m saying the issue isn’t just about Red Peak, or the fact the four finalists look pretty much the same. A lot of New Zealanders are upset they are not being asked the question, ‘Do you want a flag change or not?’ and they’re still concerned about the cost.

“The big worry is – and he’s now finally got it – he could get to the end of the second referendum and twenty six million bucks and still have the same flag.”

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