Prime Minister John Key has confirmed that the Red Peak flag design will be included in the first referendum, scheduled for November.
Last week the Green Party submitted a bill under urgency to parliament, seeking to amend the selection process to allow for five flags rather than four.
The Red Peak design has had a surge in support since the release of the final four flag designs. The Green Party then announced legislation that would allow for the groundswell of support for Red Peak to transition into the referendum process.
The bill, titled New Zealand Flag Referendum Bill 2015, was authored by Greens MP Gareth Hughes. In a press statement released by the Green Party, Hughes said Red Peak should be included to give New Zealanders another option.
“My Bill is about giving New Zealanders a choice following the groundswell of support for the Red Peak flag to be included as an option in the upcoming flag referendum,” said Hughes.
“Regardless of whether MPs want to change the flag or not, the referendum is going to go ahead anyway so it may as well include an option that a large number of Kiwis want.”
The bill, which went into urgency last Wednesday, required the consensus of all 120 members of parliament, but was opposed by NZ First’s 12 MPs.
Following the Green Party announcement, the National government indicated that the legislation would be adopted as a government bill if it failed to receive full cross-parliament consensus.