Labour Misleading Over Māori Language Bill Amendment
It appears Labour has been caught out again using social media to spread discontent about the work that the Māori Party
has done to get the Māori Language legislation to its final reading.
Nanaia Mahuta suggested yestereday on a Radio Waatea facebook page that the Māori Party would not support her amendment
to the Bill to seek an apology from the Crown for the institutional discrimination that happened against the language.
“Nanaia might need a lesson in history”, says Māori Party president Naida Glavish.
“She should look into her own backyard before heaping expectations on the Māori Party. Several Treaty settlement deeds
including the one for Ngāti Koroki Kahukura to which she belongs, acknowledge the damage Crown policies and practices
have caused to the language capability of iwi but this is the first national acknowledgement by the Crown of the damage
it has caused to Māori language. That’s a major shift that the Māori Party has achieved. In fact, it could have happened
when Labour passed the Māori Language Act in 1987 but didn’t.”
“The Bill is primarily about looking forward and resetting the framework for the survival of the language in the future
- that’s the main reason for the review - our language is in a critical state so what can the Crown and Māori do
differently to try and improve the number and level of speakers of te reo Māori.”
An important part of moving forward adds Ms Glavish is acknowledging the sins of the past.
“In the amendment the Crown acknowledges they focus on the detrimental effect it’s practices had on te reo Māori and
they commit to actively protecting and promoting it in the future.”
“Given that Nanaia’s amendment doesn’t mention anything about the Crown’s role in the future of reviving our language,
it might have helped if she had taken the time to talk to the Māori Party before submitting it. She’s had plenty of time
as this kaupapa was started by our previous co-leader Sir Dr Pita Sharples and has been carried on by our present
co-leader Minister Te Ururoa Flavell.”
ENDS