The referendum to decide on New Zealand's next flag has been advertised as "your chance to decide", but how much decision making power do we really have? The public were able to submit entries and will get to vote on which flag will be the final choice to challenge our existing flag. However, the flags that comprise the shortlist has been decided entirely by a panel of 12. This panel's selection has introduced a flaw that will skew the outcome of the referendum.

In a couple of months this blog will have been running for a decade. The website started as just a mechanism to throw my thoughts into the ether. Over the years however, as I've pushed myself as a web developer, it's become a more of a sandbox for experimentation.

It's been ten months since the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill became law in New Zealand. Bob McCoskrie, still outraged at the idea of loving couples being joined in marriage, has resigned as a marriage celebrant in protest. So I've decided to fill his spot.

Since I joined Vend a little over two years ago our team has grown from a few desks in a corner to four offices across the globe. Over that time the industry has exploded, bringing lots of competition (and a few clones) but also validating Vend's existence. I have loved working at Vend, but sadly my time to move on has arrived.

We have only two days to wait until New Zealand's 50th Parliament passes Louisa Wall's Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill into law. Those opposing the bill know the likely outcome of the third reading and are getting increasingly desperate to stop the bill. Family First have tried to play the "think of the children" card, however, the reality is that their stance puts children at risk.