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January 28, 2016
Black and blue flag on bridge sign of white privilege
Waatea Team
Posted On January 28, 2016
Flag advocacy group Te Ata Tino Toa says flying the black and blue fern flag from the Auckland Harbour Bridge for three months is an example of white privilege in action.
Spokesperson Te Ao Pritchard says it took her group three years to get the New Zealand Transport Agency to agree to fly the Tino Rangatiratanga flag from the bridge on Waitangi Days, and hurdles were thrown up at every step – including that only official flags of countries could be flown.
The agency responded in three minutes to the request by a couple of National Party MPs for the fern to fly not just one day but until the flag referendum in March, when the design will be put up against the current national flag.
"John Key’s in the referendum, the process goes through, the Minister of Transport, they make a decision just like that and then it’s up there like that, so privilege does allow things to happen when you want it in a speedy timeframe," Ms Pritchard says.
Te Ata Tino Toa would like to see the Tino Rangatiratanga flag alongside the official New Zealand flag whenever it is flown to symbolise the treaty partnership.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
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