Source: Radio New Zealand
NZ First’s Winston Peters fiercely defended a bill to make English an official language. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Parliament’s last order of the week was to debate something the minister in charge of the bill has admitted is not really a priority.
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.
It would not affect the status or use of Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language as official languages.
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.”
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Goldsmith did not speak at the first reading.
Instead, Winston Peters led the speeches on Thursday.
Peters said other jurisdictions such as Canada, Ireland, and Wales had English language legislation of their own, which indicated the “importance” of putting it into legislation.
“This bill won’t solve the push of this virtue signalling narrative completely. But it is the first step towards ensuring logic and common sense prevails when the vast majority of New Zealanders communicate in English, and understand English, in a country that should use English as its primary and official language,” he said.
The New Zealand First leader, who was made to wait nearly an hour and a half to deliver his speech, argued the proliferation of te reo Māori in health and transport services meant people were getting confused.
In other cases, they were being put in danger, claiming first responders did not know where they were going, and boaties were unable to interpret charts.
“With the increase in recent years of te reo to be used in place of English, even when less than five percent of the New Zealand population can read, write, or speak it, it has created situations that encourage misunderstand and confusion for all. And all for the purpose to push a narrative.”
Peters’ speech drifted into a lengthy historical anecdote, with an example of “out of touch bureaucrats” in the Soviet Union building, costing, and installing chandeliers based on weight “for production bonuses, rather than shape and design”, which was leading to ceilings being ripped out.
“And the then-President Khrushchev, upon finding this out, asked this question: For whom is this illuminating? As for whom, are the circumstances we now finding ourselves in with the use of te reo as a means of important communication now, illuminating what?”
Opposition MPs ridicule bill
Labour MP Duncan Webb said only the “wandering mind” of Peters could explain what Russian chandeliers had to do with the English language. VNP / Phil Smith
Opposition MPs questioned the government’s priorities, expressing ridicule, exasperation and concern at the bill.
Beginning his contribution with, “Ngā mihi, great to be here in Aotearoa today,” Labour MP Duncan Webb said only the “wandering mind” of Peters could explain what Russian chandeliers had to do with the English language.
Webb said language was a “moving thing”, with New Zealand English containing words from across the Pacific.
“A silly piece of legislation, that Winston Peters, in his jurassic thinking, wants to put before his sub-sub-sub-section of voters, because they get a little bit anxious because the library in Christchurch is called Tūranga. A big building full of books, with big signs to it, but because it doesn’t say ‘library’ they don’t know it’s the library if they’re New Zealand First voters.”
Webb said when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, all the laws of England applied, of which an English language law was not one.
“What’s the official language of the United Kingdom? Well, it doesn’t say, it is not set out there in legislation. There is no English Act or United Kingdom Act which sets out English as an official language, but I’m pretty sure they’re comfortable with the fact that it’s an official language of England and the United Kingdom.”
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. RNZ
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said 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. Some out there say that this government is stupid. Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, I think that they know exactly what they are doing,” she said.
“The English language is not under threat. We are literally speaking it and debating in it right now. This is a bill which is an answer to a problem that does not exist, a problem which this government is trying to create in the minds of people across this country, in place of the very real problems of the climate crisis, record homelessness, inequality and infrastructural decay.”
Swarbrick said Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language had been “fought for”, while English was “literally beaten” into people.
“In plain English, for all members of this government, this bill is bullshit, and you know it.”
Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara delivered her contribution entirely in te reo Māori.
“This bill is a waste of time, and a waste of breath,” she said.
Labour MP Dr Ayesha Verrall. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Labour MP Dr Ayesha Verrall spoke of her mother’s upbringing in the Maldives, where she worked hard to learn English, arrived in New Zealand on a Colombo Plan scholarship, and went on to become an English teacher.
“That’s pretty special, kind of ironic, to think that someone who, for whom English wasn’t their first language, gave so much in terms of enjoyment of English and English literature to her students.”
She said she sat in her mother’s classes in the 1990s when politicians were “race baiting”, warning of an ‘Asian invasion’, and using English in a “very powerful and destructive” way.
“When we speak in the English language, we have impact beyond our words. As politicians, we create permission for people to do things outside this House. So that’s what happens when politicians indulge in racism. The English language can be used as a weapon, and that can lead to people having violent acts committed against them,” she said.
Verall then referred to the 1990s politician directly – Peters.
First reading on hold
Peters had promoted his contribution, set to begin at 4pm, on social media.
But an opposition filibuster on the previous bill on the order paper meant his speech did not begin until 5:25pm.
With Parliament needing to break for the week at 6pm, government MPs did their best to hurry the bill along, with ACT’s Simon Court, and National MPs Tom Rutherford and Carl Bates rising for very short contributions to commend the bill to the House.
“It’s simply practical, constructive common sense,” Court said.
National’s Rima Nakhle accused the opposition of theatrics. VNP / Phil Smith
National’s Rima Nakhle took issue with Swarbrick’s use of the word “bullshit”, and accused the opposition of theatrics.
“How about we just calm it down a little, and stop the theatrics, and talk about what this is. And it’s OK. We’re only making English official. It’s not the end of the world.”
The House adjourned with two speeches still to go.
With Parliament in recess next week, it meant MPs would have to wait until 3 March for the debate to pick up again.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand