NZ First have pulled out of the referendum committee for the new flag design, citing the expense involved as their main motivation as well as a general feeling that New Zealand should have other priorities

Prime minister John Key defends spending $26 million on two referendums as part of a two-year process to gauge if New Zealanders might really want a new flag. The ministerial fleet of BMWs are also being replaced after only 3 years in service while at the same time a UNICEF report pointed out that child poverty was getting worse in NZ. Could the money not be put to better use than spending it on new flags and cars?