Well, that was the first round of the Flag Referendum and there has been lots of comment, off to the sides, about why we should or shouldn't change our flag. It's an important debate.

Some people's reasons for wanting a change of flag are we are often confused as being part of Australia and, God forbid, some people think we speak the same. There are easy solutions to this without resorting to a change of flag.

Another reason offered for changing the flag is that the Union Jack on our flag reminds some people of our colonial days and, bearing the yoke of accountability to the mother country instead of being an independent republic, somehow seems outdated. And we have grown up, haven't we?

I support this move to head towards independence for New Zealand and to remove all vestiges of those things that remind us of our history and our dependence on England.

When we gain our independence we need to remove all the road signs and places in New Zealand named after English counterparts, all streets named after English parliamentarians such as Gladstone Road etc. I also believe that our governmental system, copied in the main from England, should be modernised, English programmes on TV should be scrapped, no more UK immigrants allowed, Irish pubs should all be closed and so should fish and chip shops. There are too many other things to mention that need to be removed to secure our sense of identity. So, we then need to hold a referendum on ‘What is our identity?', once we have removed all aspects of English servitude.

And then of course there's our national anthem. Surely we have enough local talent in this country to update our national song and write a rap anthem that speaks of New Zealand?

D Naughton, Tauranga City.