The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is going to raise the Tino Rangatiratanga flag in the stead of the New Zealand flag on days of significance to Maori.
The council has given authority to its Maori committee to decide when it would be appropriate to fly this flag.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council offices are to wave the Tino Rangatiratanga flag more often.
Accepted cases for it to fly are for Matariki, the Maori New Year in early June, during Maori Language Week and at half mast to mourn the death of prominent regional figure.
The council's Maori committee had suggested that the flag also be flown every day along with the New Zealand flag or on other significant occasions.
This is not expressly agreed to by the council, although it has delegated the decision of when to raise it to the committee.
The committee says it will fly the Tino Rangitiratanga flag in a way that respects the status of the New Zealand flag as ‘the symbol of the realm, government and people of New Zealand', while also expressing a spirit of mutual respect and nationhood.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council was the first local authority to fly the Maori flag.
This was on Waitangi Day this year.
In the process leading up to the decision to fly the Maori flag more regularly, the council's Maori policy staff surveyed 10 other councils to ask if they were likely to fly the Maori Flag in the future.
Eight said they had not considered it, while two were seriously considering the option.
26 comments
END OF DAYS IS APPROACHING
Posted on 22-04-2011 12:30 | By Vomit
Yet another statement that with time the plan is to divide, segregate ... we are one nation at least that is what it is meant to be.
Hmmmm...
Posted on 22-04-2011 13:23 | By morepork
It isn't an official emblem which officially represents Maori Ethnicity. (Maybe it should be...) So, what about the Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Japanese, Scottish, English, Irish, and other Ethnicities in our Community who DO have an official flag and DO also have "special days", or are we making a special case for ONE sector of the Community? Perhaps it is time that people realized if we are to live in ONE community we recognize ONE authority. That doesn't mean Ethnicity (any of it) isn't recognised and respected, but it DOES mean no special treatment for anyone, and no particular group equating itself to or being superieor to the elected Government of the Nation.
Plasticwakas flags of convenience whats next ?
Posted on 22-04-2011 13:42 | By Hebegeebies
So who in Council proposed this bit of racial nonsense which(names please)Councillors voted for it.Tino Rangi whatever is not even a universally accepted Maori flag.It is Woollywoofter Harawiras flag of choice.Every day is a Maori day so fly it 24/7 365 days of the year no one in their right mind will recognise it because it has been invented as a self serving tool to promote racial separatism.
Why not fly BOTH
Posted on 22-04-2011 13:54 | By Colleen Spiro
No Vomit, just a sign of mutual respect
Impressive!
Posted on 22-04-2011 14:03 | By sojourner
My head spins! Does this mean that Maori are not NZ citizens on days that the NZ flag flies on top of Council buildings? And that on those 'special days' the rest of us cease to be New Zealanders, regardless of where our original roots might be? Does that mean that Maori are being dishonored on days their flag is not flown? Or that those of other tribes and nations, who have for centuries worked their butts off to make this wee country at the ends of the Earth into what it is now, are being dishonored because their flags are not flown exclusively on their important and special days? How about we just leave the NZ flag off altogether, and put, say, the British flag up there on Queens' Birthday, or the Dutch flag on the Dutch Queen's birthday, not to ignore the emotional needs of say, the Koreans, Yugoslavians,all the Pacific Islanders, Greeks, Russians, the French, oh and Americans and Canadians; it shouldn't be too hard to fill each day of the year with a different flag AND fit in the Maori flag for all special Maori days. Mutual respect and nationhood, my foot! By all means, fly the Maori flag, but do NOT take down the New Zealand flag. THAT is nothing but a serious disrespect and divisive act against all those, non-Maori peoples that make up the majority of the population of a country they call their own, and into which they pour all their energies and know-hows to keep lifting it out of the dark ages.Way to go Tauranga council, you just jumped off a cliff in the hope other stupid council sheep will follow. That's the kind of leader I hope others will have the sense to let lie at the bottom alone.
Tino Rangatiratanga flag
Posted on 22-04-2011 14:36 | By Rayna
Flying this flag every day together with the NZ flag (which is for all NZers) would not only imply but would confirm that we are not one people sharing the same heritage and future together. Paying respect to the Maori flag on specific days does not make a statutory difference to the one flag of NZ
one nation
Posted on 22-04-2011 16:38 | By Mr bay
thats true vomit we are one nation one flag, it shouldn't be them and us....its time the maori looked to the future and stopped living in the past.
Why not fly BOTH
Posted on 22-04-2011 17:30 | By Colleen Spiro
No its called mutual respect
Absolute Rubbish
Posted on 22-04-2011 17:37 | By Jitter
Why do we continue to give in to a minority group over every demand they make ? Maori are currently only between 10 and 15 percent of the population. The Tino Rangatiratanga flag is not even the flag universally accepted by Maori either. We are supposed to be "one people one nation" but continuing down this path is going to eventually split the country in two. If the Maori flag is flown, why not also the Samoan, Indian, Sri Lankan, Chinese etc flags. This is becoming absolutely ridiculous and these continuing demands will eventually bring NZ to it's knees.
about time
Posted on 22-04-2011 18:08 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
let it fly. I am not maori but think it very appropiate that there is at last a flag to state we have an old indiginous culture here in NZ
Wankers and fools
Posted on 22-04-2011 18:20 | By Tony
Thats not the New Zealand Flag , Why bother?
WTF
Posted on 23-04-2011 08:45 | By YOGI BEAR
LMAO, all this PC crap is going from the sublime to the completely ridiculous
This
Posted on 23-04-2011 10:19 | By Capt_Kaveman
Flag to me is a rebel flag meaning that the people who fly it do not respect the NZ law but thier own law and are really quiet terriosts against the state
Tauranga City Flag
Posted on 23-04-2011 12:21 | By Murray.Guy
I would support the design of, flying of, a uniquely Tauranga flag. A flag that captured our cities cultural past at the same time as reflecting who we are in 2011. Let's call for contributions to a 'design a flag for Tauranga City' competition, with the winning flag being chosen by the community.
Lets Call for
Posted on 23-04-2011 12:56 | By Tony
Lets call for Stop spending money Mr Guy. We dont need a Tauranga flag what a load of rubbish. New Zealand has a flag and TCC ratepayers have massive debt The last thing we need is more secret meetings over a bloody rag
pull your head in
Posted on 24-04-2011 09:30 | By Hebegeebies
Councillor Guy as I recall some years ago your idiotic TCC Council endorsed the proposal by Mr Peter Farmer and other like minded bods to erect the flagpole at Takatimu Drive at what was said to be no cost to TCC rate payers.Wrong as the weather dictates this wet limp bus ticket or flapping piece of jingoism cost TCC ratepayers thousands$ in preliminary costs and around $5000 every year to maintain and yet TCC can't even be bothered to fly the NZ flag from City Hall!!!Can I suggest that you and your TCC bedfellows keep out of the flag waving/ making business it only costs ratepayers truckloads of cash.
MURRAY NEEDS A FLAG ...
Posted on 24-04-2011 10:04 | By BUSH WACKER
Murray would support the design of??? "Flying", "uniquely Tauranga", "captured our cities cultural past" and "reflecting who we are". EASYA S ABC MURRY "WHITE", JUST PLAIN WHITE, NO MARKING NOTHING ELSE. Do you know what that means Murray!!! Get real.
Racism rife in NZ
Posted on 24-04-2011 10:29 | By SpeakUp
Another sad victory for the racists. Actually quite disgusting. Where is this society heading? Hijacked by some self-serving activists, applauded by dummies, the sheeple don't care (yet).
FLAG FOR MURRAY
Posted on 25-04-2011 10:32 | By YABBA DABBA DO
That would have to be one that included: - stew pot, poo-ha and perhaps a tongue hanging out?
White red and black muck
Posted on 26-04-2011 07:12 | By EYESPY
Black is not an appropriate flag colour white signifies surrender and red presumably represents the Iwi rednecks.Consign this blatant rubbish to the trash can.By all means look at a suitable new national flag but not something that represents racial prejudice hatred and separatism.
@ MURRAY G
Posted on 26-04-2011 11:41 | By CRUMPY
The white flag is it! Need to hang it up soon as. Hang it out at TCC leave it up all the time to remind those within that it means 'complete surrender' when there is some sign of Governing happening at TCC then maybe take it down for a day or two a year.
Note to Murray G.
Posted on 26-04-2011 15:23 | By Aster
What brilliant advice has been given to you in this article! White is also the colour of a winding sheet. Rather appropriate for TCC don't you think?
SURRENDER FLAG!
Posted on 27-04-2011 20:57 | By WARTS N ALL
If only they would 'surrender' to common sense and give up on all this money silliness then get back to a sound monetary plan with a meaningful objective that does not including selling ones own grandmother to the bank!
Get your councils right
Posted on 28-04-2011 19:15 | By Pamaxx
Many of the comments here refer to the TCC. Read the article again, the Maori flag flying council is The Bay of Plenty Regional Council, not the Tauranga City Council. TCC have more respect for their citizens than to forge ahead on an issue as sensitive as this without consensus approval from ratepayers. Max Lewis, Mt Maunganui
Disband the BOP regional council
Posted on 28-04-2011 23:01 | By wreck1080
I did not know there was a BOP regional council. How are they funded? Lets dump this BOP regional council.Surely they duplicate what we already have,cost unnecessary money and invent dumb ideas.
what partneship
Posted on 01-05-2011 11:04 | By Rayna
The acceptance of the Tiro Rangatiratanga flag again reinforces the division ofNZers. It is quote 'to reinforce the partnership between Maori and (the rest) created by the Waitangi Treaty' Since when was our nation a partnership? We are one people deserving of one flag. RES
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