You can save your money John! You can quit the two-stage binding referendum on a new national flag and save the country $26 million right here and now.

That's the clear message from Otumoetai College students, who responded to a poll on the subject for SunLive.

Run it up – Otumoetai College head students Jessica Elliott, Isaiah Duncanson, Anahita Mukherjee and their classmates voted to keep the status quo.

It was prompted by submitter Michael Gibson in response to a Parliamentary select committee hearing on the new national flag proposal.

He wants school children enfranchised for the postal referendum, to be given the vote. Michael believes they're going to 'live the longest with the consequences”.

And by being involved in the process, Michael believes schoolchildren will feel empowered.

How did this resonate at Otumoetai College? Well, 65 of 89 students in three classes who responded to our poll – that's 73 per cent – want a vote and want to have their say on a new flag.

But with clear provisos according to senior students in Year 13.

There should be an age threshold. One suggested intermediate children and older should get the vote. '[I reckon] 13-years and over,” said another. Several more believed 16-years should be the cut-off.

And why should they get the vote? Here's a potpourri of opinion. 'A new flag affects everyone in the nation” plus 'We are all New Zealanders and we all have thoughts”.

Another says: 'We are the ones who'll have to live with the decision. And we're entitled to a say on how our country is represented”.

Another respondent said they will be paying for the right to vote. 'We will be paying taxes one day and we are the future.”

In our less than scientific litmus test, 10 students emphatically disagreed with children voting.

Their reasons included schoolchildren not taking the matter seriously and those younger than 13 not understanding the issue. 'What the hell do school children know?” asked one.

But then the $64,000 question – the question not in the binding referendum – the question we all wanted answered. Do we want a new flag?

The results of the Otumoetai College poll are emphatic.

Just when you'd think children would be advocates for change 65 of 89 respondents – or 73 per cent – polled said 'No” to the question ‘Should NZ have a new flag?'.

And some thoughts reinforcing their votes include: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it”, 'our present flag is perfectly fine” and 'the masses of money could be better used to make a difference (housing, health and education)”

Others thought: 'There isn't an alternative design that would be commonly accepted”, 'our current flag is what we are proud to represent” and 'the current flag has a proud history”.

The thoughts of those who believe we should have a new flag include: 'The one we have is boring”, 'we need a fresh and unique design” and 'we need a flag to better represent our country”.

We also asked whether parents think we should have a new flag. There was a loud 'No” there too. In most cases the opinions of the pupils were aligned to their parents.

The poll isn't scientific but it remains to be seen whether it's indicative. Will the result be reflected in the second part of the postal referendum, when the country gets to vote between the present flag and a preferred alternative?