The New Zealand flag flies at a cricket match against Australia in February. Are its days numbered?

I consider myself a proud and patriotic Kiwi who cares deeply for this country.

I love this place – what we stand for, how we live and how much we achieve internationally.

But I couldn't give a toss about changing our current flag. I just can't get excited about the debate, it's a totally meaningless and expensive exercise.

I'd much prefer a genuine debate about whether we cut ties with Mother England because I support us becoming a republic, with our own constitution.

But that won't happen because this current crop of political leaders, Prime Minister John Key included, are too scared to get into anything that might offend and upset the Queen.

Not to mention domestic voters. And anyway, Prince Harry is in the country for a few photo ops and Princess Charlotte was just born and we've gone all ga-ga again for the monarchy.

This flag debate is completely superficial – we're having a nationwide drawing competition to pick a winning flag to flog off in a referendum up against the current flag.

Exactly who is demanding a change? I can't find anyone. The latest poll had 70 per cent of people against changing the current flag. Just a quarter of people want a new one.

It's hard to tell what Key is trying to achieve by driving the flag debate so hard.

When his government reintroduced titular honours it made total sense – it was to keep his rich business pals happy by restoring knighthoods and damehoods, which actually mean something overseas and secure flight and hotel upgrades.

At first I thought the flag debate was a means to distract from the third-term blues and focus the country's attention elsewhere. Now I suspect it's simply Key's attempt at nation-building (and building his own legacy as a leader).

But to me it's a weak and flaky attempt at nation-building and I sense few people have much interest in it at all.

"Change the Flag" spokesman Lewis Holden this week described all this fuss as an opportunity to pick a flag that truly represents the "modern, proud and independent nation that we are today".

Rubbish. If we're so proud and independent then why were Foreign Affairs officials instructing us to stay clear of Falun Gong ceremonies this week?

There's nothing proud or remotely independent about this stance and a Government that kowtows to the Chinese Government over its objections to Falun Gong. But I digress.

I find it slightly arrogant to pick a bunch of newly-designed flags and put it up against the current one.

Shouldn't we all be asked first whether we want a change to begin with? That would save millions of dollars.

But no – and here's the worst bit. We're spending $26m on this reality flag contest. We're having hui and cups of tea all over the place trying to find out what people think.

At least Air NZ's substantial coffers will remain full. But think about it – $26m. It's a lot of money.

It might buy us a new flag – it might not. It might end up being a dead end expensive talk-fest.

The money would be better spent on 1300 new hip operations or thousands of cataract surgeries.

It would also buy around 26 million free school lunches at an estimated $1 each. That's about three years' worth of free lunches in schools nationwide.

School meal charity KidsCan recently talked about extending its brilliant free breakfast programmes to 861 needy schools – all up this would cost $3.3m a year.

So the $26m could fund the entire KidsCan programme for eight years. That's quite remarkable, isn't it?

But no – we're having a fancy colouring competition to choose a new flag that few New Zealanders are demanding.

And with all due respect to former champion discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina – why is she on the panel of experts? And exactly what constitutes a flag expert anyway?

The whole thing appears to me to be a right royal waste of time, money and resource when genuinely more important things are more deserving.

However, in saying all this I may swap sides once the new designs are released. But don't bet on it. I sense people may slowly warm to this referendum later on. But it's a slow burner.

Honestly, right now I'm struggling to care. And I sense others are too.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.