New Zealand's Ardern kicks off election campaign after taming virus

Yahoo – AFP, MICHAEL BRADLEY, August 8, 2020

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is riding high in opinion polls after
her leadership through the Christchurch mosque attacks, the White Island volcanic
eruption and the coronavirus pandemic

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern kicked off her Labour Party's election campaign Saturday riding high in the opinion polls after a successful response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ardern's popularity as preferred prime minister -- often referred to as "Jacindamania" -- topped 60 percent in the latest surveys following her leadership through the Christchurch mosque attacks, the White Island volcanic eruption and the pandemic.

Before the virus forced New Zealand to seal its borders, the polls had pointed to a cliffhanger election on September 19, but support swung sharply towards the centre-left Labour Party as the country eliminated community transmission in a matter on months.

In a country of five million people, New Zealand has had only 22 COVID-19 deaths and it has been 99 days since the last recorded case of infection from an unknown source.

"When people ask, is this a COVID election, my answer is yes, it is," the charismatic 40-year-old said as she launched the campaign with a NZ$311 million (US$205 million) pledge to boost jobs.

"Businesses large and small are crucial to our economic recovery."

Labour is the senior partner in a three-party coalition government but if it can maintain the support shown in recent opinion polls, where it has consistently been above 50 percent, it could govern alone after the election.

Ardern was an unheralded MP when thrust into the Labour leadership shortly before the 2017 election when the party was struggling and "there were plenty who thought it couldn't (win)," she said.

"If you had told me then that our launch in 2020 would be in the midst of a global pandemic with our borders closed –- I would have found that very hard to fathom."

The centrepiece of Labour's campaign is to support businesses in hiring at least 40,000 people whose employment has been affected by the coronavirus.

It pledged to expand existing job schemes to help employers hire staff at risk of long-term unemployment.

It will also help out-of-work New Zealanders start a business through an expanded self-employment programme which will provide the equivalent of the minimum wage for up to 30-hours a week.

"The new flexi-wage scheme is a key plank of our economic plan to support businesses to recover and to provide jobs to those who have lost work due to COVID," Ardern said.

"Our team-of-five-million approach to fighting COVID means there is huge willingness in our business community to avoid unemployment rising by retaining staff and taking on new employees where they can, but many just need a little bit of extra support to do that, which this package provides."

Joyful PM Ardern declares New Zealand virus victory

Yahoo – AFP, News8 June 2020

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her government is confident that
the country has 'eliminated transmission' of the coronavirus

New Zealand lifted all domestic coronavirus restrictions on Monday after its final COVID-19 patient was given the all clear, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealing she danced around her living room when told about the milestone.

While strict border controls will remain in place, Ardern said restrictions such as social distancing and limits on public gatherings were no longer needed.

"We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now," she said in a televised address, saying Kiwis had "united in unprecedented ways to crush the virus".

The South Pacific nation, with a population of five million, has had 1,154 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 22 deaths.

There have been no new infections for 17 days and, until Monday, just one active case for more than a week.

Details of the final patient were not released for privacy reasons but it is believed to be a woman aged in her 50s who was linked to a cluster at an Auckland nursing home.

Ardern said the sacrifices made by New Zealanders, including a drastic seven-week lockdown that helped curb infection rates, had been rewarded now that there were no active cases in the country.

Asked about her reaction upon hearing the news, she replied: "I did a little dance" with baby daughter Neve.

"She was caught a little by surprise but she joined in, having absolutely no idea why I was dancing around the lounge."

New Zealand's move down to Level 1, the lowest rating on its four-tier virus response system, means nightclubs can operate without dance floor restrictions and theatres will reopen.

It also means sporting events can proceed with crowds in the stands, a change New Zealand Rugby (NZR) said offered its Super Rugby Aotearoa competition the opportunity to achieve a world first when it kicks off this weekend.

"We're incredibly proud, and grateful, to be the first professional sports competition in the world to be in a position to have our teams play in front of their fans again," NZR chief executive Mark Robinson said.

While many other sporting competitions around the globe have announced plans to restart, the vast majority will be played either with no crowds or with numbers severely restricted.

On a broader level, Ardern said easing restrictions would help New Zealand's economy.

"We now have a head start on economic recovery because at level one we become one of the most open, if not the most open, economies in the world," she said.

The prime minister said modelling showed the economy would operate at just 3.8 percent below normal at Level 1, compared with a 37 percent impairment at Level 4 lockdown.

New Zealand tightens gun laws again after mosque attack

Yahoo – AFP, 22 July 2019

Ardern said the March 15 killings had changed attitudes towards gun ownership
in New Zealand

New Zealand announced plans for a national firearms register Monday in its second round of gun law reforms following the Christchurch mosque attacks which killed 51 Muslim worshippers.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said regulations around who could hold firearm licences would also be tightened to "stop weapons falling into the wrong hands".

Ardern said the March 15 killings, when a gunman opened fire at two Christchurch mosques as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers, had changed attitudes towards gun ownership in New Zealand.

"There is a new normal around firearms, it is a change of mindset," she told reporters.

"The most dangerous weapons are being taken out of circulation."

The government's initial response to the attack was an immediate ban on the military style semi-automatic rifles (MSSAs) used in the worst massacre in modern New Zealand history.

Police Minister Stuart Nash said the latest changes were needed to keep track of firearms in the community.

"Under the current law, we do not know exactly how many guns are in circulation, who owns them, who is selling them, who is buying them or how securely they are stored," he said.

The register, which is expected to take five years to complete, will contain details of the estimated 1.2 million firearms in New Zealand, for a population of around five million.

The second round of gun law reform also includes a ban on foreign nationals purchasing firearms -- the accused Christchurch gunman Brenton Tarrant is an Australian who allegedly bought an arsenal of rifles while living on the South Island.

It also bars people with convictions for violence, gang activity, drug or firearm offences from holding a licence.

A nationwide buyback scheme including 250 "collection events" run by police, was launched this month, allowing members of the public to hand in weapons before a six-month amnesty expires.

Nash said there had been a strong response during the first week of the buyback, with more than 11,000 prohibited firearms and parts handed in.

"Firearms owners want to do the right thing. Many events have seen people queueing before the doors open, ready to hand in firearms, parts and ammunition," he said.

Ardern said the March 15 killings had changed attitudes towards gun ownership in New Zealand.

New Zealand offers residency to families of mosque victims

Yahoo – AFP, April 24, 2019

A New Zealand flag held at a vigil for the Christchurch mosque massacres.
New Zealand has offered permanent residency to those directly affected by
the attacks (AFP Photo/Anthony WALLACE)

New Zealand opened a two-year window Wednesday for people directly affected by the Christchurch terror attacks to apply to stay permanently in the country.

The special visa category "recognises the impact of the tragedy on the lives of those most affected, and gives people currently on temporary and resident visas some certainty" about their status, Immigration New Zealand said in a statement.

People living in New Zealand who were present at one of the mosques and their immediate family based in New Zealand qualify for the visa.

The definition of "immediate family" has been expanded to include a wide circle of family members including partner's family and the grandparents of children under 25.

Mustafa Farouk, the president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, said it was a generous gesture.

"We are very happy," he said, adding he expected everyone eligible would apply.

"Some of these people have not only lost their loved ones, they have also lost their main provider."

A self-styled white supremacist opened fire on Muslims at prayer in two Christchurch mosques on March 15.

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian" has been charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 of attempted murder.

Dubai projects NZ PM's image on iconic skyscraper

Yahoo – AFP, March 23, 2019

Ardern has been widely praised for her handling of the tragedy which left 50
Muslims dead (AFP Photo)

Dubai (AFP) - Dubai has projected the image of New Zealand premier Jacinda Ardern onto its iconic Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper, in thanks for her response to last week's mosque shootings.

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum praised Ardern's "support to the Muslim community" after a white supremacist gunman attacked two mosques on March 15, killing 50 people.

"Thank you PM @jacindaardern and New Zealand for your sincere empathy and support that has won the respect of 1.5 billion Muslims after the terrorist attack that shook the Muslim community around the world," he wrote on Twitter.

A photo from Dubai's Public Diplomacy Office showed Burj Khalifa lit up with a picture of Ardern in a hijab, warmly embracing a Muslim affected by the tragedy, under the word "peace" in Arabic and English.

Ardern has been widely praised for her handling of the tragedy, meeting victims' families and moving quickly to tighten gun laws while calling for global efforts against extremism online.

Related Article:

Graves prepared as New Zealand looks to bury mosque massacre dead

Graves prepared as New Zealand looks to bury mosque massacre dead

Yahoo – AFP, Jerome TAYLOR, March 17, 2019

People in Christchurch lay flowers in tribute to those killed in Friday's attack (AFP
Photo/Marty MELVILLE)

Dozens of graves were being dug in a Christchurch cemetery on Monday for the 50 worshippers killed in two mosque attacks, as families clamoured for the return of their dead.

Coroners said they hoped to let grieving relatives fulfil Islamic burial customs soon, but insisted they had to move carefully through their investigation into the horrific multiple murder.

As New Zealand grappled to come to terms with the slaughter -- the worst attack on Muslims in a Western country -- tales of heroism, suffering and incredible grace emerged.

Farid Ahmad, whose 44-year-old wife Husna was killed as she rushed back into a mosque to rescue him, refused to harbour hatred toward the alleged gunman, Australian-born, self-avowed white nationalist, Brenton Tarrant.

"I would say to him 'I love him as a person'," Ahmad, who uses a wheelchair, told AFP.

Asked if he forgave the 28-year-old suspect, who is being held in custody after appearing in court, he said: "Of course. The best thing is forgiveness, generosity, loving and caring, positivity."

Residents pay their respects by placing flowers for the victims of the mosques attacks

 in Christchurch at the Masjid Umar mosque in Auckland on March 17, 2019 (AFP Photo/

Michael BRADLEY)

Husna Ahmad was among four women believed to have been killed by Tarrant, who documented his radicalisation and two years of preparations in a lengthy, meandering and conspiracy-filled far-right "manifesto".

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her office and some 30 other officials had received the document by email about nine minutes before the attack.

"It did not include a location, it did not include specific details," she said, adding that it was sent to security services within two minutes of receipt.

Around Christchurch, New Zealand and the world there have been vigils, prayers, memorials and messages of solidarity.

"We stand together with our Muslim brothers & sisters" were the words on a large red banner, above a sea of flowers at one of the sites in what one resident dubbed the "city of sorrow".

An emotion-filled haka -- the Maori war dance -- was performed by a New Zealand biker gang to honour the Christchurch dead.

Police forensic officers are carrying out painstaking work at the Dean Avenue 

mosque (AFP Photo/Marty MELVILLE)

The country remained on high alert, with police on Sunday briefly closing an airport in the southern city of Dunedin -- where Tarrant had lived -- after an unidentified package was spotted on the airfield. The airport reopened a few hours later.

Generations

Islamic custom dictates that the dead should be buried within 24 hours, but strained authorities, desperate to make sure no mistakes are made or the complex investigation harmed, said a quick process was difficult.

"All of the deceased have had a CT scan, their fingerprints are taken, the property they were wearing or had with them is removed," said Chief Coroner Deborah Marshall, adding that dental impressions were taken and post-mortems performed.

Ardern said she expected all the dead would have been returned to their families by Wednesday.

An AFP reporter early Monday saw workers and excavators preparing dozens of graves in a cemetery in Christchurch though it was unclear when any funerals might start.

There has been an outpouring of grief in the wake of the attack (AFP Photo/

Marty MELVILLE)

"It's a massacre, what else do they need to know?," said school principal Sheikh Amjad Ali, expressing frustration over the wait for loved ones' remains.

The dead from Friday's attack span generations, aged between three and 77, according to a sombre list circulated among relatives.

Some victims came from the neighbourhood, others from as far afield as Egypt. At least two of the dead came from the same family -- a father and son.

Delhi said Sunday that five of its nationals were killed, while Pakistan said nine of its citizens were among the dead, including one man who died trying to rush Tarrant.

Four-year-old

Authorities said 34 people remained in hospital.

Gestures of sympathy have been made all around the world since Friday's 

horrifying attack (AFP Photo/Salty Dingo)

Among those fighting for their lives is four-year-old Alin Alsati. The pre-schooler was praying alongside her father Wasseim at the Al Noor mosque when she was shot at least three times.

Her father, who was also shot, recently emigrated to New Zealand from Jordan.

"Please pray for me and my daughter," he pleaded in a Facebook video message from his hospital bed before undergoing surgery.

The number of dead and injured could have been higher, were it not for people like Afghan refugee Abdul Aziz.

Aziz was at the Linwood mosque with his four sons when he rushed the attacker armed with the only weapon he could find -- a hand-held credit card machine.

Afghan refugee and local resident Abdul Aziz chased the gunman with the only weapon 

he could find -- ahand-held credit card machine (AFP Photo/Anthony WALLACE)

He then picked up an empty shotgun discarded by the gunman and shouted "come on here" in an effort to draw him away from his sons and the other worshippers.

"I just wanted to save as much lives as I could, even if I lose my life," he told AFP.

Gun policy on agenda

The mosque attacks have shaken this usually peaceful country, which prides itself on welcoming refugees fleeing violence or persecution.

Later Monday Ardern will gather her cabinet to discuss changing the country's gun laws.

That could include a ban on semi-automatic weapons of the type used by Tarrant. A series of reform attempts in recent years have failed.

Ardern also wants answers from social media giants over the livestreaming of the carnage.

Facebook said it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack around the world in the first 24 hours.

Kiwis say they will not be beaten by the horror that was visited on them by a lone 

gunman (AFP Photo/MICHAEL BRADLEY)

After days of lockdowns and security warnings, police have urged Kiwis to go back to their normal business.

When they return to work and school on Monday however, they will find a high police presence, said commissioner Mike Bush.

Related Articles:

#UPDATE New Zealand will tighten its gun laws in the wake of its worst modern-day massacre, the government said Monday, as it emerged the white supremacist accused of carrying out the killings at two mosques in Christchurch will represent himself in court https://t.co/ptiKYSrqwy pic.twitter.com/GH2Z9lnzNl

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 18 maart 2019

Afghan refugee Abdul Aziz is being hailed as a hero after he ran towards the attacker outside his mosque in Christchurch armed with the only weapon he could find -- a hand-held credit card machine https://t.co/qrYektTZXE pic.twitter.com/stwQCRgv8o

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 17 maart 2019

Students in #NewZealand perform a traditional Maori haka in tribute to the victims of the Christchurch shootings outside one of the mosques where the massacre took place pic.twitter.com/HNv09szqwM

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 18 maart 2019

Himalayan glaciers granted status of 'living entities'

Yahoo – AFP, April 1, 2017

The status of "living entity" was given to two glaciers as well as swathes of
the Himalayan environment, including waterfalls, meadows, lakes and forests

An Indian court has recognised Himalayan glaciers, lakes and forests as "legal persons" in an effort to curb environmental destruction, weeks after it granted similar status to the country's two most sacred rivers.

In a decision that aims to widen environmental protections in the mountainous region, the court granted the legal standing to glaciers Gangotri and Yamunotri that feed India's venerated Ganga and Yamuna rivers, which won the status in a landmark judgement in March.

"The rights of these entities shall be equivalent to the rights of human beings and any injury or harm caused to these bodies shall be treated as injury or harm caused to human beings," the highest court in Himalayan state of Uttarakhand said in its ruling on Friday.

It said Yamunotri glacier, which is the source for Yamuna river was shrinking at an alarming rate.

Gangotri, which feeds the river Ganga and is one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayas, is also "receding fast", the court said.

"In over 25 years, it has retreated more than 850 meters (2,800 feet)," a two-judge bench of justices Rajeev Sharma and Alok Singh said.

The court also extended the status of "living entity" to swathes of the Himalayan environment, including waterfalls, meadows, lakes and forests.

On March 20, the same court ordered that both Ganges and Yamuna rivers should be given "living entity" status to conserve them, in a decision cautiously welcomed by activists who expressed hope that it would signify more than just a symbolic gesture.

Both rivers are considered holy by millions of Hindus, who ritualistically bathe, drink and scatter the ashes of their dead in the water.

The rivers which criss-cross most of the country before flowing into the sea have witnessed massive pollution near human habitations mainly due to dumping of untreated sewage and industrial waste.

The court argued the unusual step was necessary because the hallowed rivers upon which Hindu rites are conducted were "losing their very existence".

New Zealand earlier last month recognised its third-largest river, ancestral and spiritual waters for its Maori people, as a living entity.

Successive governments in India have attempted with limited success to clean up the Ganges, which snakes 2,500 kilometres (1,553-mile) across northern India from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.

Slavery claims as UK child sex abuse inquiry opens

Yahoo – AFP, Robin MILLARD, February 27, 2017

Between 1945 and 1970, youngsters were sent from Britain to Australia mainly,
but also Canada, New Zealand and what is now Zimbabwe -- often without the
consent of their families (AFP Photo/WILLIAM WEST)

London (AFP) - England's mammoth inquiry into historical child sex abuse was told of the "torture, rape and slavery" suffered by child migrants shipped to Australia, at its first public hearings on Monday.

The wide-ranging Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse opened by looking at the schemes that sent thousands of vulnerable children to far-flung parts of the Commonwealth in the decades after World War II.

David Hill broke down as he told the inquiry of the "endemic" sexual abuse at the school he was sent to in Australia.

"I hope this inquiry can promote an understanding of the long-term consequences and suffering of those who were sexually abused," he said.

"Many never recover and are permanently afflicted with guilt, shame, diminished self-confidence, low self-esteem, fear and trauma."

British Prime Minister Theresa May set up the inquiry in 2014 when she was interior minister.

The British Empire sent some 150,000 children abroad over 350 years, according to a 1998 parliamentary study, although the probe started Monday by looking at use of the practice after World War II.

British Prime Minister Theresa May set up a mammoth inquiry into historical 

child sex abuse in July 2014 when she was the interior minister (AFP Photo/

Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS)

It was justified as a means of slashing the costs of caring for lone children and providing disadvantaged young people with a fresh start, while meeting labour shortages in the Commonwealth and populating colonial-era lands with white British settlers.

Between 1945 and 1970, youngsters were sent mainly to Australia, but also Canada, New Zealand and what is now Zimbabwe -- often without the consent of their families.

But the promise of a good upbringing and an exciting new life in the sun was often, in reality, a world of forced labour, brutal treatment and sexual assault in remote institutions run by churches and charities.

"They sent us to a place that was a living hell," victim Clifford Walsh told the BBC.

Oliver Cosgrove was sent to Australia in 1941, one of an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 children shipped there from 1922 to 1967.

"Those who were abused tried in vain to tell others, who they hoped and believed might assist them. But they didn't," his representative told the inquiry.

"This was a systematic and institutional problem."

'Unacceptable depravity'

Aswini Weereratne, of the Child Migrants Trust which supports victims, said there was good evidence that Britain knew of the poor standards of care in Australian institutions but failed to respond.

"Some of what was done there was of quite unacceptable depravity. Terms like sexual abuse are too weak to convey it," she said.

"This was not about truly voluntary migration, but forced or coerced deportation."

Some children were said to have suffered "torture, rape and slavery," she added.

Professor Stephen Constantine told the hearings that royal visits to such institutions legitimised them for people who saw the photographs, believing if it was good enough for the royal family, "it is good enough for us".

The hearings are being held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London. The opening phase dealing with Australia is expected to last 10 days.

The inquiry was established following the death of TV star Jimmy Savile in 2011, when it emerged he had been one of Britain's worst serial paedophiles, carrying out abuse unchecked in a range of public institutions.

The inquiry will look at historic abuse in England and Wales, including in schools, hospitals, children's homes, local authorities, religious organisations, the BBC, the armed forces and charities.

It will also examine allegations involving famous people in politics and the media.

The inquiry got off to a rocky start, with the first three chairs stepping down.

New Zealand to quash historic gay sex convictions

Yahoo – AFP, February 9, 2017

Homosexuality became legal in New Zealand in 1986 but people who were
convicted before then still have the offence listed on their official records
(AFP Photo/JAIME REINA)

Wellington (AFP) - New Zealand announced plans Thursday to erase historic convictions for engaging in gay sex, apologising to those branded criminals under old laws.

Homosexuality became legal in New Zealand in 1986 but people who were convicted before then still have the offence listed on their official records.

Justice Minister Amy Adams said such convictions could appear on criminal history checks and in some cases had to be disclosed while applying for jobs.

She said people would soon be able to have them expunged from official records.

"It means people will be treated as if they had never been convicted and removes the ongoing stigma and prejudice that can arise from convictions for homosexual offences," she said.

"I acknowledge the pain that these New Zealanders have lived with and hope that this will go some way toward addressing that."

Adams apologised to those she said had lived with years of stigma and prejudice.

"We are sorry for what those men and their families have gone through and the continued effect the convictions have had on them," she said.

The justice department said the convictions related to three offences that were dropped in 1986 -- sodomy, indecency between males and keeping a place of resort for homosexual acts.

It estimated about 1,000 people will be eligible to apply to have their records cleared when the scheme take effect next year.

To qualify, the sex that led to the conviction must have been consensual and taken place between adults aged 16 years or older.

Family members can also apply to have the records of a deceased relative cleared.

After legalising homosexuality in 1986, New Zealand passed laws banning discrimination against gays in 1993 and introduced same-sex marriage in 2013.

Britain this month enacted "Turing's Law", giving a blanket posthumous pardon to almost 50,000 men convicted under old laws in England and Wales.

Named after the WWII code-breaker and mathematician Alan Turing, it also allows living people to have their convictions erased, although they must apply individually.

Australian leaders unite for split with Britain's Queen Elizabeth

As Australia prepares to commemorate Australia Day, seven of its eight state and territory leaders have called for the country to become a republic. Britain's Queen Elizabeth is currently head of state.

Deutsche Welle, 25 January 2016

Seven of Australia's eight state and territory leaders signed a declaration published on Monday for an Australian head of state to replace Britain's queen.

Australia is currently a constitutional monarchy with Britain's Queen Elizabeth as its head of state. On January 26 each year, Australia marks Australia Day, which commemorates the start of British settlement in 1788. The anniversary often brings up the debate surrounding Australia's sovereignty.

"It's well past time for Australia to become a sovereign nation," said South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill in a statement. "Any self-respecting, independent country would aspire to select one of its own citizens as its head of state."

Weatherill said it would be "the ultimate act of respect" if Queen Elizabeth presided over the transfer of Australia from a monarchy to a republic. "I mean if you think about it, what are we waiting for? Are we waiting for her to die? I would have thought that it's much more respectful to have her supervise this transition," he said on television on Monday.

The only dissenting voice, Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett, said he also supported a republic but did not think "the time is right."

Republican PM Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (photo), a staunch republican, became a leader last year in place of monarchist Tony Abbott. This gave rise to suggestions the change to a republic might become a live issue. But Turnbull, who led the Australian Republican Movement in the 1990s, said "My commitment to Australia having an Australian head of state is undiminished," but that it was not a priority on his political agenda.

In response to Monday's declaration by the state leaders, Turnbull said he believed a national vote would be unlikely during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Britain's 89-year-old monarch.

In 1999, a referendum proposing a republic was defeated, with 55 percent of people voting against.

'Knightmare'

Last year, then prime minister Tony Abbot knighted the husband of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, a move which led to wide-ranging criticism from politicians, public and the media who dubbed it a "knightmare." Abbot's party replaced him with Turnbull shortly afterwards.

Don't forget to Toast the Queen at your Australia Day BBQs, just don't go OTT & knight a prince or anything #Straya https://t.co/67ZZvFePHp

— Tim Watts (@TimWattsMP) January 25, 2016

Current Australia Day celebrations focus on diversity in Australian society with a range of community events and awards. Citizenship ceremonies for new immigrants are also held.

jm/jil (AP, Reuters)

Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer attends a ceremony where

 Queen Elizabeth II presents Prince Philip with the Insignia of a Knight of the

Order of Australia at Windsor Castle on April 22, 2015 (AFP Photo/John Stillwell)

Related Articles:

Australia ditches 'out of date' knights and dames

New Zealand picks Silver Fern for battle of the flags

New Zealand picks Silver Fern for battle of the flags

Yahoo – AFP, Neil Sands, December 11, 2015

The "Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue)" will go head-to-head with New
Zealand's existing flag in a second referendum in March next year (AFP Photo)

Wellington (AFP) - New Zealanders have chosen a silver fern on a black-and-blue background as their preferred flag design if the South Pacific nation decides to dump Britain's Union Jack from its national banner, officials said Friday.

The design beat four other contenders in a nation-wide referendum, according to preliminary results released by the New Zealand Electoral Commission.

Simply titled "Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue)", the design will go head-to-head with the existing flag in a second referendum in March next year.

"While this is a preliminary result, New Zealanders can now turn their attention to deciding whether to keep the current flag, or replace it," Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said.

Prime Minister John Key has led the push for reform, saying the existing ensign is a colonial relic that is too easily confused with Australia's flag.

He had previously nominated the winning design as his favourite, describing the silver fern as an instantly recognisable symbol of New Zealand.

The flag and an almost identical banner from the same designer, Kyle Lockwood, were clear winners in the five-way race, each receiving more than 550,000 first-choice votes of the 1.5 million ballots cast.

Lockwood's second-placed design simply changes the colour of one section of the flag's background from black to red. They both feature four stars of the Southern Cross as well as the fern.

"My father represented New Zealand in underwater hockey and he always wore the silver fern on black –- I always thought it would be on the flag one day," the designer said earlier this year.

"The Union Jack just doesn’t seem right for New Zealand these days."

'Kiwi as bro'

However, polling indicates the current flag remains on track to beat any contender in next year's run-off referendum.

Formally adopted in 1902, it has a Union Jack in the upper-left corner with the Southern Cross on a dark blue background.

Once part of the British Empire, New Zealand is now independent, although Queen Elizabeth II remains head of state.

However, her power is seen as largely symbolic, and changing the flag is seen by some as helping cut lingering colonial ties.

Key argues a silver fern flag will boost New Zealand's global profile and will be "worth billions" to the nation of 4.5 million in the long term.

He has cited another former British colony, Canada, as an inspiration, saying the maple leaf adopted in 1965 is now a universally loved national symbol.

Opponents of change say New Zealanders have fought under the existing banner and also criticise the NZ$26 million ($17.5 million) cost of the referendum.

In a rare show of civil disobedience, veterans' group the Returned and Services' Association (RSA) encouraged Kiwis to spoil their ballots.

The normally conservative association argues that to change the flag disrespects previous generations of soldiers who have died fighting under the banner.

"When they have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, our flag has been draped over their casket at military funerals," it says on its website.

The often heated debate has also had its lighter moments, particularly when the original 10,000-plus submissions for new flags were publically released.

One of the most popular designs with online users was a flag featured a kiwi bird shooting green lasers from its eyes.

Another had a sheep alongside a cone of ice cream, with designer Jesse Gibbs saying the juxtaposition of the two New Zealand favourites was "Kiwi as bro".

New Zealand picks Silver Fern for battle of the flags https://t.co/4b1FYuCBzP pic.twitter.com/markoFVzbC

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) December 11, 2015