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The Red Peak flag (also called First to the Light) is a proposed New Zealand flag that will appear as one of five options for voters to consider in the 2015–16 flag referendums.〔(【引用サイトリンク】Red Peak by Aaron Dustin )〕 Designed by Aaron Dustin in 2015, Red Peak appeared on the government's official longlist of 40 alternative flag designs before failing a final culling of the field on 1 September 2015 to four options. After public disappointment with the official four-flag shortlist, a social media campaign was launched on 2 September that revived the flag's prospects and captured the attention of leading parliamentary figures both in government and opposition. On 23 September, Prime Minister John Key announced the government had agreed to support Green Party legislation that would add Red Peak to the referendum ballot as a fifth (and the only non-fern inspired) option. According to its designer, the flag, which features a white chevron surrounded by red, blue, and black coloured triangles, eschews familiar New Zealand iconography such as the fern, koru, kiwi, and Southern Cross in favour of a "new" symbolic language. The design, a simplified reference to the geometric elements of tāniko pattern as well as to the star tips of the current flag, represents the uniqueness of New Zealand's land, light, and position. The white chevron refers to the collision of the two tectonic plates which form the Southern Alps, while the coloured triangles symbolize the red earth, black night, and blue dawn, a reference to the Rangi and Papa creation story in native Māori mythology. In this way, the flag also notes New Zealand's prominence as one of the first countries to "hold the light of new day". It is arguably unique amongst proposed flag alternatives in that it is the only design to visually represent a fusion of both British European and Māori cultures, two groups which are especially prominent in New Zealand's history. ==History== The flag was designed by Aaron Dustin along with 17 other flag designs in May to July 2015 as part of the New Zealand Government call for alternative flag designs, and submitted under the pseudonym Andor Unista (an anagram for Aaron Dustin) from Wellington.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=There are 18 flags by Andor Unista )〕 In August 2015 Red Peak was selected in the long list of 40 flag designs by the Flag Consideration Panel. A quantitative survey conducted from 25 to 31 August 2015 with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 New Zealanders concluded that the flag design ranked 35th place overall, and was the fourth least preferred flag design. Furthermore, within specific groups, it ranked last place (40th) according to people that identify as Māori or Green voters. After public disappointment with the official shortlist of four options, a social media campaign was launched on 2 September 2015 for the Red Peak flag, a design well-liked by supporters of changing the New Zealand flag who disapprove of the silver fern flag and other similar proposed designs. Early tweets were followed by a blog post titled 'Dear John' written by Rowan Simpson which attracted significant online attention, and an opinion piece in ''The New Zealand Herald'' by journalist Toby Manhire.〔 Despite not being selected by the official Flag Consideration Panel, the Red Peak design was considered a favourable alternative and was supported by a grassroots social media campaign for its inclusion in any public referendum for a new national flag design. An online petition to support inclusion of the flag design as an option for the referendum gained support from 50,000 petitioners in less than two weeks, and was handed over by the family of the petition's creator and Rowan Simpson to David Seymour at Parliament on 16 September 2015. On 23 September, Green Party MP Gareth Hughes sought to introduce in Parliament a (bill ) to add Red Peak to the first referendum as a fifth option; a block by New Zealand First was circumvented the same day when Prime Minister John Key confirmed the government would pick up the legislation.〔http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11517757〕 In order to pass the bill, the House of Representatives went into (extraordinary urgency ) on 23 September (extraordinary urgency allows the House to dramatically condense a bill's journey through the legislative process, avoiding referral to a select committee and advancing through all three readings in one day; under (normal circumstances ), a bill cannot complete more than one stage per day the House is in session). At the third reading, all parties in the House agreed to final passage except New Zealand First, which opposes changing the current flag. Royal assent was granted on 24 September, making the inclusion of Red Peak on the ballot official ((Public Act 2015 No. 86 )). The addition will cost taxpayers an extra $380,000, as informational materials on enrollment and voting that feature the initial four alternatives must be redesigned, reprinted, and retranslated to include Red Peak as a fifth option (no ballot papers had been printed). Despite his willingness to include Red Peak on the ballot paper, Prime Minister Key remains a supporter of Kyle Lockwood’s two silver fern designs; however, should Red Peak win the first referendum, Key has confirmed he would support it over the current flag in the second referendum.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Red Peak flag」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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