{"id":557824,"date":"2026-08-03T16:02:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/557824\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T16:02:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:02:10","slug":"new-zealand-has-a-new-official-language-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/557824\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand has a new official language \u2014 English"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Lawmakers in New Zealand<\/a> have passed a bill to make English one of the country\u2019s official languages.\n <\/p>\n

\n The move was widely ridiculed in the Pacific Rim nation, where English is already widely used, including in courts and parliament.\n <\/p>\n

\n The English Language Bill states that the addition of English as an official language, alongside M\u0101ori<\/a> and the country\u2019s sign language, will not mean any new rules are needed for it to continue being used in legal, political and government settings or documents.\n <\/p>\n

\n More than 95% of New Zealand\u2019s population \u2014 or almost 4.8 million people \u2014 spoke English as of 2023, according to government data. Just 4.3% spoke M\u0101ori and 0.5% used sign language.\n <\/p>\n

\n The bill \u2014 campaigned for by the nationalist New Zealand First party, part of the coalition government \u2014 passed its third reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday.\n <\/p>\n

\n In a video<\/a> of a speech from that reading that has been viewed more than six million times on Instagram, Tamatha Paul, a member of New Zealand\u2019s left-wing opposition Green party, condemned the move as a waste of time, saying the \u201csnowflake\u201d government \u201csee te reo M\u0101ori (the M\u0101ori language) and they shiver in their boots.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n M\u0101ori was the main language spoken in New Zealand before the country became a British colony in 1840. It was made an official language in the 1980s, when many programs were launched to revive it.\n <\/p>\n

\n Paul added that the M\u0101ori language has protected status \u201cbecause it was beaten out of M\u0101ori systematically. We had to march our asses to parliament demanding that the indigenous first language of this country be recognized and not beaten out of the mouths of its native speakers.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n She then pointed out that English is not even a formal official language in England. \u201cEven they know that it\u2019s just stupid.\u201d English is a de facto official language in England, although the 1730 Proceedings in Courts of Justice Act requires English to be used in courtrooms and court documents, according to the UK government website<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\n The opposition Labour Party voted through the bill, despite members\u2019 misgivings. During the debate, Labour MP Camilla Belich mockingly mused, \u201cI wondered if they might want to legislate for the changing of the seasons?\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n In a report<\/a> presented to the House in June, the country\u2019s Justice Committee said it received written submissions from 1,601 people and groups regarding the bill, and almost two-thirds of these opposed it.\n <\/p>\n

\n According to the report, opponents of the move argued that making English an official language would be \u201can unnecessary use of resources,\u201d create \u201cunnecessary division within society,\u201d and would be \u201cundermining the two other official languages\u201d and their legislation, which gave those minority languages stronger rights and supported their use in legal proceedings.\n <\/p>\n

\n Those in support of the bill said the legislation would clarify the long-accepted status of English and, since the bill would not introduce any new rights for the language, would cause little harm.\n <\/p>\n

\n Casey Costello, a member of the New Zealand First party, was among those who defended the move in parliament during the third reading.\n <\/p>\n

\n She said<\/a> the purpose of the \u201cshort, straightforward bill\u201d is to \u201crecognize in legislation what has long been assumed in New Zealand. Namely, that English is an official language of our country.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cDespite what has been claimed across this House, this bill is important and far from the claimed \u2018waste of time,\u2019\u201d Costello added, before going on to say, \u201cIt is not trivial, unnecessary or a distraction to this House in a democracy to deliver for those who elected us to this House.\u201d\n <\/p>\n