New Zealand’s Parliament has been debating a new bill that would make English an official language, alongside te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
The Government says the change would not reduce the legal status or use of te reo Māori or New Zealand Sign Language. The bill is only two pages long and argues that English is already used as the main language in practice, even though it is not written into law.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is in charge of the bill but said it is not a top priority. Instead, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters defended the idea, saying other places have laws about English and that New Zealand should, too. He argued that more te reo Māori appearing in services like health and transport can confuse some people, and he claimed this could even create safety risks.
Opposition MPs strongly disagreed and questioned why Parliament was spending time on it. Labour MP Duncan Webb mocked Peters’ speech, including a long story about Soviet-era chandeliers, and said language naturally changes over time. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said English is not under threat and accused the Government of trying to distract people from issues like extreme weather and unemployment. Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara spoke entirely in te reo Māori to protest the bill.
Labour MP Dr Ayesha Verrall shared her family’s story about learning English and warned that politicians’ words can encourage harmful behaviour outside Parliament. The debate ran short of time because earlier arguments delayed the schedule, leaving two speeches unfinished. With Parliament going into recess, the bill’s first reading debate will pause and resume in early March.
