John Key's hopes of changing the flag have been dealt a blow with a poll showing 61% of voters want to keep the flag we've got.
The Newshub/Reid Research poll shows only 30% want to change to the Kyle Lockwood Silver Fern design. The other 9% either didn't know or didn't care about changing the flag.
The poll result suggests the referendum that starts in just over four weeks' time may be a foregone conclusion.
500 people voted in the poll, which was taken over the summer break and shows voter sentiment moving toward change -- but only slowly.
A Reid Research poll of 1000 people taken back in September after the shortlist of four alternative flags was released showed 69% didn't want change. And then another poll of 1000 people with the same question, taken in November after the Red Peak flag was added as a fifth option, showed 65% were opposed to change.
The Kyle Lockwood flag won the first referendum in December and with a summer to mull it over, the "no" vote has dropped to 61%.
So while the numbers are moving in the right direction for the Prime Minister and flag change supprters, it may not be quick or big enough: the referendum starts on March 3 and runs through to March 24.
This morning Kiwi actor Sam Neill tweeted to say he didn't think the flag should change.
If Kiwis have made up their minds over summer, Mr Key's hopes of a flag change may well be over.
Newshub.
