The government has introduced a bill to make English an official language, to ridicule from the opposition, and a fierce defence from Winston Peters.
The legislation would see English be recognised as an official language alongside Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
Just two pages long, the legislation states that English has long been a de facto official language, but not set out in legislation.
The bill is in the name of the Justice Minister, Paul Goldsmith, who was reluctant to sing its praises.
“It’s something that was in the coalition. It wouldn’t be the top priority for us, absolutely not. But it’s something in the coalition and it’s getting done.”
“It wouldn’t be the top priority for us, absolutely not.” No, it wouldn’t be a priority for National because it just might upset Maori leaders! Right Paul?
Not surprisingly, Goldsmith did not speak at the bills first reading.
Labour MP Duncan Webb opened his speech on the bill with – “Ngā mihi, great to be here in Aotearoa today.”
Just to wind up Winston, no doubt!
And, of course, Chloe being Chloe chimed in with – “The government wants us distracted while the country experienced severe weather events, and unemployment was as high as it had been in a decade.” “They want us divided, and they want regular people exhausted, fighting amongst themselves.”
“Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language had to be fought for while English was “literally beaten” into people!
But we are not allowed to fight for English, is that it Chloe?
Her coup de gras – “In plain English, for all members of this government, this bill is bullsh*t, and you know it.”
The below was sent to me, author unknown –
There’s something revealing about the meltdown over Winston Peters’ English Language Bill.
Put the pitchforks down.
No one is banning te reo Māori.
No one is scrapping bilingual signs.
No one is rolling back language revitalisation.
All Peters is doing is saying this: English should be formally recognised in law as an official language of New Zealand.
That’s it.
And yet Chlöe Swarbrick calls it “bullsh*t.” The Greens react like he’s declared cultural war.
Why?
English is the language our laws are written in.
It’s the language judges deliver verdicts in.
It’s how Parliament operates.
It’s how most Kiwis speak at home and at work.
Recognising that reality isn’t oppression. It’s honesty.
Here’s the truth: this isn’t really about language. It’s about politics.
For a lot of New Zealanders, rightly or wrongly, there’s a feeling that English is being sidelined in official spaces. They see government departments using Māori names exclusively. They hear more te reo without translation. They feel the pace of change is fast.
Now, let’s be clear: te reo does not dominate daily life. It never has. It’s a handful of words, signage, greetings.
But perception drives politics.
Peters understands that. He’s delivering on a coalition agreement promise that’s been sitting there for two years. He’s signalling to his voters: English matters too.
And when the Greens explode in outrage, it proves his point for him.
Most Kiwis are sitting there thinking: why is this controversial?
We are an English-speaking Western democracy. That doesn’t erase Māori culture. It doesn’t threaten te reo. Both can coexist. They already do.
The real debate should be about fairness in policy, cost of living, healthcare, crime. Not whether acknowledging English in law is somehow an attack on identity.
If you think the bill is unnecessary, fine. Argue that.
But acting like it’s cultural sabotage? That’s theatre.
And every time the reaction looks hysterical, Peters gets stronger.
Pee Kay writes he is from a generation where common sense, standards, integrity and honesty are fundamental attributes. This article was first published HERE
“It’s something that was in the coalition. It wouldn’t be the top priority for us, absolutely not. But it’s something in the coalition and it’s getting done.”
“It wouldn’t be the top priority for us, absolutely not.” No, it wouldn’t be a priority for National because it just might upset Maori leaders! Right Paul?
Not surprisingly, Goldsmith did not speak at the bills first reading.
Labour MP Duncan Webb opened his speech on the bill with – “Ngā mihi, great to be here in Aotearoa today.”
Just to wind up Winston, no doubt!
And, of course, Chloe being Chloe chimed in with – “The government wants us distracted while the country experienced severe weather events, and unemployment was as high as it had been in a decade.” “They want us divided, and they want regular people exhausted, fighting amongst themselves.”
“Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language had to be fought for while English was “literally beaten” into people!
But we are not allowed to fight for English, is that it Chloe?
Her coup de gras – “In plain English, for all members of this government, this bill is bullsh*t, and you know it.”
The below was sent to me, author unknown –
There’s something revealing about the meltdown over Winston Peters’ English Language Bill.
Put the pitchforks down.
No one is banning te reo Māori.
No one is scrapping bilingual signs.
No one is rolling back language revitalisation.
All Peters is doing is saying this: English should be formally recognised in law as an official language of New Zealand.
That’s it.
And yet Chlöe Swarbrick calls it “bullsh*t.” The Greens react like he’s declared cultural war.
Why?
English is the language our laws are written in.
It’s the language judges deliver verdicts in.
It’s how Parliament operates.
It’s how most Kiwis speak at home and at work.
Recognising that reality isn’t oppression. It’s honesty.
Here’s the truth: this isn’t really about language. It’s about politics.
For a lot of New Zealanders, rightly or wrongly, there’s a feeling that English is being sidelined in official spaces. They see government departments using Māori names exclusively. They hear more te reo without translation. They feel the pace of change is fast.
Now, let’s be clear: te reo does not dominate daily life. It never has. It’s a handful of words, signage, greetings.
But perception drives politics.
Peters understands that. He’s delivering on a coalition agreement promise that’s been sitting there for two years. He’s signalling to his voters: English matters too.
And when the Greens explode in outrage, it proves his point for him.
Most Kiwis are sitting there thinking: why is this controversial?
We are an English-speaking Western democracy. That doesn’t erase Māori culture. It doesn’t threaten te reo. Both can coexist. They already do.
The real debate should be about fairness in policy, cost of living, healthcare, crime. Not whether acknowledging English in law is somehow an attack on identity.
If you think the bill is unnecessary, fine. Argue that.
But acting like it’s cultural sabotage? That’s theatre.
And every time the reaction looks hysterical, Peters gets stronger.
Pee Kay writes he is from a generation where common sense, standards, integrity and honesty are fundamental attributes. This article was first published HERE
16 comments:
Oye , oye. Chloe and Dunks channel
Nietzsche' s Thus Spake Zarathustra. The ultimate pronouncement!
Biculturalism: everything 50-50. No karikia without a comparable paheka blessings to unseen forces or maybe a Gregorian Chant or something meaningful. (Or maybe paheka doesn't include all NZs other ethnic-cultural groups). Or maybe meetings started by various blessings from each identity group, time allocated by % of each demographic group in NZ. That would please the bureaucrats: even more time devoted to unproductive meetings!
I think we all know the Left want to decolonise the country of the English language. Easier to do when English isn't an official language hence the hysteria over this.
All for recognition of English, but safer, say I, to go with Seymour and just do it - cheaper, and less opportunity for the nay-sayers to have a platform.
The fallacy of Chloes argument lie in the simple fact that all meaningful debate is carried out in English. She herself can only stutter out a few Maori words and needs to resort to English to get her point across. Maori hd no written language therefore English was required to define words. We see that now with the Maori pidgin in daily use.
The final point is that the pidgin Maori language is being weaponised to the point where very few citizens can comprehend what is going on in the financial arena. Large sums of Money are being distributed to dubious Maori entities.
Making the English language official, levels the playing field.
Luxon has to go. He is not supporting any anti-racist measures.
Goldsmith and Luxon are an appalling handbrake upon a lot of the common sense that the other coalition parties are pushing for. Goldsmith infuriates us with his stuttering defence of the indefensible at times and Luxon is simply an obdurate blocker who is content to do the bidding of the iwi chairs. Recognising English as one of our languages, the predominant one in fact, should be a no-brainer as should be nullification of the rampant Maorification that Luxon is allowing to persist and which is killing this Country.
There are about 2,500 schools in NZ - everyone knows what they are, as they used to have a pair of signs on the road saying SCHOOL.
Under, the previous government, all these signs have been replaced with new ones saying KURA , with SCHOOL below that.
Who paid for that ?
Waka Katahi ? (now almost back to NZTA )
At a modest estimate of $1000 per sign to change, that bit of useless, pointless, woke virtuous signaling that cost us a minimum of $5,000,000 !!!!
What a colossal waste of taxpayers money !!
All to be seen to be culturally correct and appease the woke people driving our education systems.
We only need English signs.
Every Maori in this country also speaks English.
As for Ardern spending over $300M doing all the covid messages in te reo - that was part of her bribes to the MSM and the PIJF.
Luxon again sits on his hands saying nothing, doing nothing.
Thanks for the dog and pony show Winston, not. When can we expect your Bill removing all references to the ToW from current legislation?
Somewhere around the 12th of never I predict.
Someone could put signs in our international airports that say, "Speaking English in Aotearoa is racist". That would embarrass the government. But the signs would be in English!
Should, the "emphasis" should, any Bill that goes before the 'collective' Parliament, that has the title - making English the language of New Zealand, you watch any & all Maori rise and verbally demean such an action, maybe call for a Hikoi to the steps of Parliament, with further efforts across the land to ensure that such legislation never even gets to be 'vote on'.
Rational, they "fought" to have Te Reo recognized as 'a' Language, succeeded and are now ensuring that it becomes " The language" of New Zealand (or Aoteroa to them) - and if you are missing the point within my comment, please reflect on where Te Reo is now spoken, the signage now appearing across the Land - in Te Reo and the efforts being placed upon the NZ Army (they have already ensured that the Airforce & Navy have succumbed) to ensure that the "their" Language precedes all others.
The other "agency" that has this pressure applied has been the Real estate Industry and there are other private Businesses who have also "bent a knee".
My 'tongue in cheek' final statement / a question - "Does anyone know the telephone number of Oliver Cromwell"??
Leave the reader to ponder that!
We in our family of the 20th Century enjoyed using the odd Maori word with a sense of brotherhood and fun. Not now. That has been replaced with politics and compulsion. Our vocabulary has been cleansed of the words that were once dear to us.
Personally, like i suspect 99 % of the population I have been at a complete loss to understand why English was not an official language.. And, like about90 % at a loss to understand why stone age te reo or/and recently manufactured te reo is.
Anon 5.08PM The Lord Protector of England, Oliver Cromwell, cannot help 'cos he died in 1658 , Charles II had him dug up and chopped up with his head being used as a virtual football since it was passed around after being stuck up on a pike. His mobile keeps going to voicemail ....
Likewise Don, I used to enjoy using the occasional tereo phrase or word when conversing. But not now. Compulsion, force feeding and virtue signalling has really ruined it for me and I have absolutely no interest now
To Ken S: action taken over by Goldsmith and a 4-person committee which is late in its reporting.
General: Te Reo dominates far beyond its relevance - this way, it will be the key to tribal rule and ultimate control. Another Left govt. would accelerate its march towards this goal.
A few te reo words are useful and worth adopting ie taihoa, mana, pukeru,
Post a Comment
Thank you for joining the discussion. Breaking Views welcomes respectful contributions that enrich the debate. Please ensure your comments are not defamatory, derogatory or disruptive. We appreciate your cooperation.