Day 6

A new flag for New Zealand?

Flag expert Malcolm Mulholland discusses what makes a great flag, what makes a terrible flag, and why he feels New Zealand needs a new one.
The 40 submitted designs for the new flag for New Zealand, as selected from more than 10,000 entries by the Flag Consideration Panel. (Government of New Zealand)

New Zealand's current flag is dark blue with a Union Jack in the upper left corner and the Southern Cross in the centre right. It looks almost exactly like Australia's flag -- and to some it harkens back to the country's start as a colony of Britain. 

Well, some Kiwis are ready for a change. 

Earlier this summer, an open call went out for new flag designs, and over ten thousand submissions rolled in from around the world. The Flag Consideration Panel whittled them down to 40 options, and the official long list was announced earlier this week. 

Ultimately, voters will decide the flag's fate in March 2016 when a national referendum will pit the winning design against New Zealand's current flag. 

One of the panelists helping to choose the contending design is Vexillologist, or flag expert, Malcolm Mulholland.

He spoke with Day 6 on Wednesday from Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Rejected: flags that didn't quite make the cut