Key says yes to Maori flag over bridge, Parliament

Why should I have to swallow my identity? Why am I not aloud to be different, culturally from my fellow kiwis? Why shouldn't I be aloud to be proud of my both my Maori and Pakeha upbringing?

To my own: why do we need a flag? What happened to expression through waiata, whakairo, raranga, ta moko, haka? We don't need one. I wont be forced into one identity based on a visual symbol.

I can't relate to that flag. I also don't relate to the New Zealand flag. Because some where along the line the country decided you could only be one or the other. Maori OR Pakeha.

Axe is a good example. 'what would they do if I shot at THEIR flag?'. Who's flag Axe? You let the actions of one man and his followers determine what you think of the rest of us?

Have fun fighting over a piece of cloth.

HAHAHAHA,

I WANDER HOW MANY OF YOU COMPLAINING, VOTED FOR MR KEYS. FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO MOAN ABOUT, AND GIVE THE MAN A CHANCE. IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO A BETTER FOR OUR COUNTRY, MAYBE YOU SHOULD RUN FOR PRIME MINISTER. IS THE FLAG REALLY THE ISSUE HERE OR THE FACT THAT MR KEYS IS TRYING TO BRING NEW ZEALANDERS TOGETHER.

Whoa. Would everyone calm down. Nothing wrong with a Maori flag surely? It would be good of the Maori to sort out the youth gang/blackpower/warrior archetype they have going on and get a few non-commie intellectuals amongst them but... Maori more than entitled as indigenous NZ'ers to fly the flag, it's treaty day after all... sheesh.

What terrible ignorance and racism so many of you display. If the true meaning of the treaty as explained to Maori when it was signed was adhered to the Maori would still have soverignty. Most Maori do not want to change things they just want to be understood, for this incredible ignorance displayed in the comments above to end, and for their culture and ways to be respected and understood. To fly a Maori flag would symbolise respect and understanding for New Zealands heritage. There is no element of Maoridom in the current New Zealand flag and to show some compassion and fly a Maori flag for one day of the year would only show our strength and pride as a nation.

If the Maori can decide on a flag that represents them double thumbs up from me.

There are 2 flag poles anyway.

1 country, 1 people, 1 flag I'd love to know what maori would do if I shot and spat on their flag. I'd be branded a nazi and villified (or beaten by thugs )thats what! A white person would've been locked up but Iti got away with it. I'm glad my dead grandfathers cant see what became of the flag they fought for. Move on maori you're not cannibals anymore stop acting like it and move on, the modern world demands co-operation and compassion, something you (historically) seem to know nothing about. How about starting by looking after your 'precious' babies!

What sad little people to be so easily threatened by a piece of cloth! Such hate so close to the surface... Not being PC is fine but foaming at the mouth about being anti-PC just makes you an ignorant racist.

He didn't say that he wanted to replace the New Zealand flag with the Maori Sovereignty flag- He just said that if Maori can choose a flag to represent themselves then that should be flown beside the NZ flag on Waitangi Day.

Why on earth can't Maori have a flag to represent them?

I think a real problem is that sometimes people don't read things. They just respond with a gut reaction: "I'm being shut out of my own country! My money's being wasted! They're getting special treatment! I'm being ignored!"

All legitimate reactions to a story about John Key proposing to replace the New Zealand flag with the Maori sovereigntist flag without consulting Non-Maoris, but that is not this story.

What a waste! i mean yea i see where john key is coming from. but like Warren says 1 New Zealand 1 Flag

#5 your'e exactly right. It's a good ploy on his part.