John Key and that flag.

[McDuck]

At least Sir John holds people accountable. I see he has just fired the CEO of ANZ.
Why can't this government hold anyone accountable for the 100,000 homes dream policy?

What you hear in the media has little to do with the truth behind the situation.

I like to think of it similar being at a surf beach in summer and seeing a smooth patch of water on the surface.
You just know it's hiding a deadly rip.

The main reason a CEO would be removed is usually nothing to do with a little misunderstanding over perks.
When you are paid millions per year, a few tens of thousands is similar to a minimum waged worker eating yesterdays stale sandwiches from the company cafeteria without asking the right person.

Usually a CEO is removed because he isn't willing to go along with the new direction others in power want.
Or some really bad money or ethics thing.
Picking on perk abuse is just a way to do it.

A company can never any kind of negative news out, that would reduce it's reputation and therefore price of it's stocks.

As for the Homes thing.
Yes, people need to understand how integrated things are these days.

Just to make a simple BLT you need a wide support system.
Pig breeders, tomato growers , wheat harvesters, knife sharpeners, iron smelters, miners, roads to deliver all of that stuff on, police to stop highway robbery.. and so on.

They were never just building houses, they were bending and rerouting thousands of supporting systems to a new goal.

A trap for the new player.

* I'm just thinking, now you have to contend with fakes as well.
so there are extra layers of quality control needed too, because you are sourcing material from places not totally friendly.

[Meehole]

We don't have a rubbish flag at all, I personally like the NZ flag. There was a 68% voter turnout on the flag debate and 57% voted in favour of the current flag, so a lot of other people like our flag too. And so what if it's similar to Australia's flag, those that can't distinguish between the two flags, maybe need to take a closer look at them.

Many of those that voted against a new flag did so because they didn't like John Key, plain and simple! Even if they thought it a good idea they still wouldn't vote for a change as he wanted it.
I didn't know my great grandies fought for the flag, I thought they fought for NZ???

[Learning]

I didn't know my great grandies fought for the flag, I thought they fought for NZ???

So true. No one ever fought for a piece of cloth on a pole. It's what it represents that matters.

[Meehole]

So true. No one ever fought for a piece of cloth on a pole. It's what it represents that matters.

I don't think they would have even thought about the cloth on a pole, unless it was attached to a bayonet.
Do our Olympians get a Union Jack tattooed on their bodies? No it's a fern and that is symbolic for most young kiwis these days.

[watchful]

A few years ago I had the pleasure of speaking to John Key about this. The flag can be a stumbling block in many of our markets especially emerging ones. Our identity can be confusing when our National flag is so similar to that of our neighbour.
I also served under that flag in areas of operation such as Bouganville, East Timor and Afghanistan. We actually wore black kiwi patches instead of the flag and flags were removed from our flying suits. Sometimes it is better to be a 'who is that Kiwi' and not mistaken for someone else.
I personally didn't like the other options but I voted to change to one with a fern design - can't remember which because it was probably crap. And yes I served for NZ not for the flag.

[Meehole]

Watchful, so nice to hear from someone that has walked the walk and can talk the talk. Shame we didn't hear more from people like you who put a different light on the flag in war time. As for emerging markets, had never considered that either.

[DaveW]

A few years ago I had the pleasure of speaking to John Key about this. The flag can be a stumbling block in many of our markets especially emerging ones. Our identity can be confusing when our National flag is so similar to that of our neighbour.
I also served under that flag in areas of operation such as Bouganville, East Timor and Afghanistan. We actually wore black kiwi patches instead of the flag and flags were removed from our flying suits. Sometimes it is better to be a 'who is that Kiwi' and not mistaken for someone else.
I personally didn't like the other options but I voted to change to one with a fern design - can't remember which because it was probably crap. And yes I served for NZ not for the flag.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. But it seems the general NZ population doesn't.

[Meehole]

I agree wholeheartedly with this. But it seems the general NZ population doesn't.

Maybe if the general population had been given the opportunity to hear comments like these and be better informed there would have been a different outcome. Besides plenty of the general population voted for no change just to spite John Key. They didn't like him and would never agree to a flag change even if they thought it a good idea.
No difference now with Jacinda, people vote on personality not policy.