Australia copied its national flag from its Kiwi neighbours and should find itself a new one, New Zealand’s deputy prime minister has said.

Winston Peters, whose party was fiercely opposed to plans to change New Zealand’s flag, has said that it should be Australia to be looking for a replacement.

New Zealand and Australia’s national flags are very similar, with both featuring the Southern Cross constellation on a blue background, as well as a Union Jack. The stars on the Ausutralian flag are white and have more points than those on the New Zealand flag.

A 2016 referendum in New Zealand to change the country’s flag fell flat and was ultimately shelved.

Two years on, Mr Peters has revisited the controversy, saying that New Zealand’s flag was “copied by Australia, and they should actually change their flag and honour the fact that we got there first with this design.”

New Zealand adopted its flag in 1902, while Australia only did so 50 years later, in 1954. However, Australians first picked the design of their flag in 1901.