The news is not so much that the New Zealanders will have a referendum on changing the flag.
The news is the republican New Zealand Prime Minister John Key (one who re-introduced titles) has now decided not to have the referendum on the Flag planned for the September election.
No doubt he fears not so much losing it but also losing votes for his party from angry patriotic New Zealanders.
It will be held during the next term with a choice only between the present Flag and the Prime Minister's own design.
In the unlikely event of New Zealand changing their Flag, Australian republicans will lose one of their arguments.
This is that the Flags of the two close, indeed similar nations are also ….surprise, surprise, similar.
Like our laws, languages and sporting prowess.
But our flags are not as similar as the confusing, boring tricolours vast numbers of countries fly.