The chair of the panel assigned to consider a new flag design, University of Canterbury Emeritus Professor John Burrows, said its first job would be public engagement.

“We’re going to have to use the media a lot of course, there will certainly be meetings where panel members will talk to members of the public. And I see in our terms of instructions that there’s even mention of a roadshow and things like that. So we will be doing all we can, everything within our power in fact to talk to as many people as possible.”

I wonder how the esteemed Professor really feels being brought down to the level of a door to door encyclopedia salesman. Asking the suckers what colour covers they’d like on their books so as to pave the way to signing them up for a sale?

What a cheap con man. Just John Key’s flunky.

Here’s how you engage with the public Professor.

You make the referendum asking if a flag change is desirable the first one you run. Then we can all go home and stop spending taxpayer’s money on a cheap and nasty strategy, unbecoming of anyone with dignity, and plainly designed to trick voters. Really, I thought anyone whose title included the word Emeritus would know better than to be part of this pathetic National Party charade, taking dirty tricks in NZ politics to a new level altogether.

We already know John Key feels no shame for this artifice. How about you?