I also don't get the obsession with getting rid of the union jack. The flag chosen in the referendum reflects that. We are a British colony. The British crown signed the treaty on behalf of non Maori. What's missing is the Maori part of the relationship. Pretending that we are something we are not is part of the continuing cultural amnesia that leads us to choose a weet-bix packet as a flag option. We are not ready for a new flag, which judging by the result is obvious