<p>New Zealanders voted convincingly against a proposal to ditch Britain's Union Jack from the national flag and adopt a silver fern design, official referendum results showed today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The country's electoral commission said 56.61 per cent of voters backed the existing flag, while 43.16 favoured a change.<br /><br />The results are preliminary but the size of the margin means they are unlikely to change when the final tally is released next Wednesday.<br /><br />The outcome will likely be viewed as a defeat for Prime Minister John Key, the main advocate for change, who described the existing banner as a colonial relic from the days of British rule.<br /><br />"New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag. I encourage all NZers to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it," he tweeted.<br /><br />Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said some would be disappointed with the outcome but the government had staged a robust democratic process that had given people a choice.<br /><br />The referendum was the culmination of an often-heated 18-month debate which touched on issues of national identity in the South Pacific nation of 4.5 million people.<br /><br />On one side of the ballot was the existing flag, a dark blue ensign with the Union Jack in the top left corner and four red stars representing the Southern Cross constellation.<br /><br />On the other was the proposed alternative -- a silver fern on a black-and-blue background, which retains the four stars.<br /><br />Created by designer Kyle Lockwood, it beat four other proposed flags in a preliminary referendum last December.<br /><br />Key called the existing flag a colonial throwback, saying the silver fern used by the All Blacks "screams New Zealand" in the same way the maple leaf identifies Canadians.<br /><br />He described the vote as a once-in-a-generation chance to update the flag after more than a century.<br /><br />However, veterans' group the Returned and Services Association argued that to change the flag disrespected previous generations who fought and died under the banner.<br /><br />"We are delighted, but not surprised," it said after the result was announced.<br />Others criticised the new design's aesthetics, with "Jurassic Park" actor Sam Neill saying: "This ugly beach towel is no alternative. It's hideous."<br /><br />But there were high-profile advocates for change, including ex-All Black skipper Richie McCaw, who said the existing flag was too similar to Australia's.<br /><br />"The silver fern has always been the special symbol on the All Black jersey... so the new flag with a silver fern as a part of it would be a great option," he posted on Facebook earlier this month.</p>
<p>New Zealanders voted convincingly against a proposal to ditch Britain's Union Jack from the national flag and adopt a silver fern design, official referendum results showed today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The country's electoral commission said 56.61 per cent of voters backed the existing flag, while 43.16 favoured a change.<br /><br />The results are preliminary but the size of the margin means they are unlikely to change when the final tally is released next Wednesday.<br /><br />The outcome will likely be viewed as a defeat for Prime Minister John Key, the main advocate for change, who described the existing banner as a colonial relic from the days of British rule.<br /><br />"New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag. I encourage all NZers to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it," he tweeted.<br /><br />Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said some would be disappointed with the outcome but the government had staged a robust democratic process that had given people a choice.<br /><br />The referendum was the culmination of an often-heated 18-month debate which touched on issues of national identity in the South Pacific nation of 4.5 million people.<br /><br />On one side of the ballot was the existing flag, a dark blue ensign with the Union Jack in the top left corner and four red stars representing the Southern Cross constellation.<br /><br />On the other was the proposed alternative -- a silver fern on a black-and-blue background, which retains the four stars.<br /><br />Created by designer Kyle Lockwood, it beat four other proposed flags in a preliminary referendum last December.<br /><br />Key called the existing flag a colonial throwback, saying the silver fern used by the All Blacks "screams New Zealand" in the same way the maple leaf identifies Canadians.<br /><br />He described the vote as a once-in-a-generation chance to update the flag after more than a century.<br /><br />However, veterans' group the Returned and Services Association argued that to change the flag disrespected previous generations who fought and died under the banner.<br /><br />"We are delighted, but not surprised," it said after the result was announced.<br />Others criticised the new design's aesthetics, with "Jurassic Park" actor Sam Neill saying: "This ugly beach towel is no alternative. It's hideous."<br /><br />But there were high-profile advocates for change, including ex-All Black skipper Richie McCaw, who said the existing flag was too similar to Australia's.<br /><br />"The silver fern has always been the special symbol on the All Black jersey... so the new flag with a silver fern as a part of it would be a great option," he posted on Facebook earlier this month.</p>