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Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
English to re-appear above te reo Māori on NZ passport
Prior to 2021, English appeared above te reo Māori on the New Zealand passport. New Zealand's passport is being redesigned to place the English words above the te reo Māori text, but the new look won't start being rolled out until the end of 2027. Since 2021, newly issued passports have had the words "Uruwhenua Aotearoa" printed in silver directly above "New Zealand Passport". Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden today confirmed the positions of the text would be swapped in future to reflect the coalition's commitment to using English first "as it is the language most widely spoken by the New Zealand public". The redesign would be unveiled later this year and was being done as part of a scheduled security upgrade, ensuring no additional cost to passport-holders. ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Passports with the new design would start being issued only after the existing stock of booklets had been used up. A spokesperson for Internal Affairs told RNZ the department was working towards an "end-of-2027 release date" for the updated passport. The ACT Party celebrated van Velden's move on social media, saying the change would "restore English before te reo Māori - without costing taxpayers". In 2021, the Department of Internal Affairs promoted the passport's existing "unique design" as one to "be proud of" and highlighted the more prominent use of te reo Māori both on the cover and throughout the book. The change comes as part of a deliberate push by the coalition to give English primacy over te reo Māori in official communications. New Zealand First's coalition agreement with National stipulates that public service departments have their primary name in English and be required to communicate "primarily in English" except for entities specifically related to Māori. It also includes an as-yet-unfulfilled commitment to make English an official language of New Zealand. Te reo Māori was made an official language in 1987, followed by New Zealand Sign Language in 2006. On Wednesday, NZ First leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters objected to the Green Party's use of the term "Aotearoa New Zealand" during Parliament's Question Time. "No such country exists," Peters said. "The name of this country in all the documents, and the membership of the United Nations, is New Zealand. "We are not going to have somebody unilaterally - without consultation, without consulting the New Zealand people - change this country's name." Speaker Gerry Brownlee insisted Peters respond to the question in a "reasonable fashion" and pointed to his ruling earlier this year that it was not inappropriate for MPs to refer to "Aotearoa New Zealand". "The New Zealand Geographic Board also recognises and uses the term 'Aotearoa New Zealand'," Brownlee told MPs. "It would be utterly ridiculous for this House to ban such use if the Geographic Board itself is using that." Returning to the issue yesterday, Peters requested that Brownlee reconsider on the basis that the Geographic Board had no jurisdiction to alter the country's name. But Brownlee was unmoved. He noted that the word 'Aotearoa' was regularly used as a name of the country, including on New Zealand passports, which he said Peters would be familiar with given his role as Minister of Foreign Affairs. "He would have - over some five years or more - presented the New Zealand passport at various passport stations around the world and never questioned the fact that our passport has the word Aotearoa on the front of it," Brownlee said. "I'd further say that through all of those years ... there has been not a syllable, not a sound, not a mutter, not a murmur, no condemnation whatsoever from a government he was part of. "That is the end of the matter."
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Passport redesign: English to re-appear above te reo Māori
Prior to 2021, English appeared above te reo Māori on the New Zealand passport. New Zealand's passport is being redesigned to place the English words above the te reo Māori text, but the new look won't start being rolled out until the end of 2027. Since 2021, newly issued passports have had the words "Uruwhenua Aotearoa" printed in silver directly above "New Zealand Passport". Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden today confirmed the positions of the text would be swapped in future to reflect the coalition's commitment to using English first "as it is the language most widely spoken by the New Zealand public". The redesign would be unveiled later this year and was being done as part of a scheduled security upgrade, ensuring no additional cost to passport-holders. ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Passports with the new design would start being issued only after the existing stock of booklets had been used up. A spokesperson for Internal Affairs told RNZ the department was working towards an "end-of-2027 release date" for the updated passport. The ACT Party celebrated van Velden's move on social media, saying the change would "restore English before te reo Māori - without costing taxpayers". In 2021, the Department of Internal Affairs promoted the passport's existing "unique design" as one to "be proud of" and highlighted the more prominent use of te reo Māori both on the cover and throughout the book. The change comes as part of a deliberate push by the coalition to give English primacy over te reo Māori in official communications. New Zealand First's coalition agreement with National stipulates that public service departments have their primary name in English and be required to communicate "primarily in English" except for entities specifically related to Māori. It also includes an as-yet-unfulfilled commitment to make English an official language of New Zealand. Te reo Māori was made an official language in 1987, followed by New Zealand Sign Language in 2006. On Wednesday, NZ First leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters objected to the Green Party's use of the term "Aotearoa New Zealand" during Parliament's Question Time. "No such country exists," Peters said. "The name of this country in all the documents, and the membership of the United Nations, is New Zealand. "We are not going to have somebody unilaterally - without consultation, without consulting the New Zealand people - change this country's name." Speaker Gerry Brownlee insisted Peters respond to the question in a "reasonable fashion" and pointed to his ruling earlier this year that it was not inappropriate for MPs to refer to "Aotearoa New Zealand". "The New Zealand Geographic Board also recognises and uses the term 'Aotearoa New Zealand'," Brownlee told MPs. "It would be utterly ridiculous for this House to ban such use if the Geographic Board itself is using that." Returning to the issue yesterday, Peters requested that Brownlee reconsider on the basis that the Geographic Board had no jurisdiction to alter the country's name. But Brownlee was unmoved. He noted that the word 'Aotearoa' was regularly used as a name of the country, including on New Zealand passports, which he said Peters would be familiar with given his role as Minister of Foreign Affairs. "He would have - over some five years or more - presented the New Zealand passport at various passport stations around the world and never questioned the fact that our passport has the word Aotearoa on the front of it," Brownlee said. "I'd further say that through all of those years ... there has been not a syllable, not a sound, not a mutter, not a murmur, no condemnation whatsoever from a government he was part of. "That is the end of the matter."
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Changes confirmed for New Zealand passport, placing English before te reo Māori
The order of languages used in the New Zealand passport has stoked strong emotions. Photo / Supplied, PRADO Speaker Gerry Brownlee reiterated a ruling on the use of the term Aotearoa in Parliament yesterday, in which he said it was regularly used as a name of New Zealand, and appears on our passports and currency. The question of the use of the term Aotearoa comes after debate sparked by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. Speaking before yesterday's Question Time, Brownlee mentioned Peters' work on passports as Foreign Affairs Minister. 'In his time serving New Zealand, in the capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he would've, over some five years or more, presented the New Zealand passport at various passport stations around the world and never had questioned the fact that our passport has the word Aotearoa on the front of it. It was always a New Zealand passport despite the use of that word. 'That is the end of the matter.' Earlier this week, Peters was asked about the Government's work to protect the marine environment of 'Aotearoa New Zealand', following a recent United Nations conference on oceans. Peters responded that he had attended the UN summit, but 'no such country turned up, nor is such a country a member of the United Nations.' The New Zealand First leader was asked about the remarks after Parliament's Question Time concluded, to which he responded people have no right 'unilaterally, like some sort of arrogant bureaucrat to change the country's name without consulting the New Zealand people'. Peters then asked what the term Aotearoa was doing on Government documents, as 'it's not the name of New Zealand'. In 2021, during the release of the now-current passport, the Department of Internal Affairs said, 'The silver fern and Coat of Arms remain, but te reo Māori now appears first on the cover and throughout the book.' The passport also came with security features, making it one of the most technologically advanced passports in the world. Service delivery and operations deputy chief executive, Maria Robertson, said at the time it had a unique design that 'we can all be proud of'. The move to put te reo Māori first was also applauded by the Māori Language Commission on social media, with a 'Ka rawe!' Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament's press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.
The Spinoff
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Why Tāmaki Makaurau needs an urban Māori leader
With a byelection set for September 6, and Peeni Henare, Oriini Kaipara and Hannah Tamaki confirmed in the race, Tāmaki Makaurau needs a leader who understands what it means to be urban, disconnected and diasporic, argues Te Rina Ruka-Triponel. I've spent most of my life in Tāmaki Makaurau. I've lived overseas, moved between cities, and never quite had one tūrangawaewae to stand firm on – yet, Tāmaki has always been my home. But not in the way many understand. My experience as a Māori in this city has not been shaped by marae or iwi connections, at least not in the beginning, but by my relationship with Pacific communities who, in many ways, carried me when I felt disconnected from my own. I didn't grow up speaking te reo, like some of my Sāmoan and Tongan friends who were encouraged to speak only English – at least in public. For Pacific families, the church is like a marae, a fale or a meeting place. It's their tūrangawaewae away from home. A space for gathering, to keep language alive, for healing. It's where we mourn, celebrate and connect. Some rarely go back to their island homes because they're established here, and others don't know where they're from. While I've been on a reclamation journey for the last decade – now strongly connected to my hapū, my iwi, my whānau, even my fenua and village in Mo'orea – the story of the Pacific diaspora is one I deeply resonate with. I found belonging in those spaces when our own had been stripped from us. That's why I advocate for our Pacific communities, they healed a part of me my own community couldn't. Because, truthfully, Māori often participate in our own marginalisation. I come from a whānau shaped by colonisation, disconnection and assimilation – and I'm not alone. There are many of us out here. We are mokopuna of grandparents who were beaten for speaking te reo, forced off their whenua, and into urban centres like Tāmaki Makaurau. Some of us are reclaiming our reo, our tikanga, our names. These stories, though common, are still invisible in our leadership – and we are a huge demographic. Around 84% of Māori in Aotearoa live in urban areas, a figure that has remained consistent since at least the 2013 New Zealand census. Tāmaki Makaurau is home to the largest Māori population in the country, with nearly a quarter of all Māori (over 200,000 people) living in Auckland. That's a significant presence – yet urban Māori realities are still underrepresented in leadership, policy design and public narrative. There needs to be a voice that understands these realities – one that is actively pursuing the path to whakapapa too. This isn't a story of victimhood either – if anything, we are strong and resilient because of what we've endured. Many Māori whānau in Tāmaki are not te reo champions, we're not immersed in reo Māori every day. Many of us didn't grow up on our whenua or with a relationship to our marae. It's here that I urge Māori leadership to hold space for these complexities. For those of us who feel Māori in our wairua and bones – but who weren't raised with the traditional anchors of reo, marae and whenua. Now a byelection is upon us. The late Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp understood these realities. She was an unapologetically urban Māori wahine who, as chief executive of Manurewa Marae, turned the marae into a vital community clinic during the Covid‑19 lockdowns. She helped whānau impacted by job losses, distribution obstacles or vaccine hesitancy. Under her leadership, the marae administered around 65,000 Covid-19 vaccinations and provided food packs to support struggling households. She was also director of Hip Hop International NZ, managing the first Aotearoa crew to compete at the World Hip Hop Championships, celebrating Māori and Pacific cultural expression through dance. She worked with youth across South Auckland with a passion to ensure they would thrive. A servant-leader who proved that whakapapa and community service can take many forms – whether through the rhythms of hip hop, the outreach of a community clinic, or the embrace of a marae. Whoever follows Kemp must understand what it means to be a servant-leader in the context of this city. And they must carry the weight of representing Māori and Pacific communities whose lives are intertwined through shared histories of migration, struggle, and resilience. In political circles, I've often said: 'I don't resonate with the current leadership as an urban Māori.' And I'm usually met with: 'Well, that's not how politics works,' or 'It's not about seeing yourself in someone – it's about who can do the job.' That may be true in a western model. But as someone grounded in te ao Māori – and who's spent the last decade on a reclamation journey – I believe leadership is relational. And who better to lead Tāmaki Makaurau than someone who understands Tāmaki Makaurau? My hope is that Māori also extend their leadership to our Pacific whanaunga, our tuākana. We cannot prosper towards a Hawaiki hou without them. I certainly would not have come this far without them.
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Mark It On The Calendar. Toitū Te Reo Returns!
Toitū Te Reo – Aotearoa's national Māori language festival – is back for its second year, with a refined, refreshed two-day event full of heart, and happening in Heretaunga Hastings. The festival takes place in and around the Hastings CBD on 13 and 14 November 2025 and as plans begin to take shape, organisers are calling for aligned businesses, service providers, creatives and other entities to get involved. Festival director and founder Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod says this year's line-up will again include speakers, language workshops, musical performances, food and whānau-friendly events, bringing thousands to the city for celebration, connection, and cultural pride. 'Last year we had an estimated 10,000 people join us – whānau, tamariki, foodies, performers, creatives, reo champions and absolute beginners – all coming together to uplift te reo Māori,' says Jeremy. 'Toitū Te Reo is unapologetically Māori, yet it's incredibly accessible to non-speakers. We want young, old, locals, visitors, and those from every ethnicity to come along and have a go at te reo Māori.' Spearheaded by Te Matau a Māui-based cultural revitalisation agency Kauwaka, with support from the Matauranga Iwi Leaders' Group, sponsorship opportunities are now available, with something to suit every budget. While the inaugural festival received Government investment, 2025 is being delivered without it – a shift that has only strengthened the resolve of the organising team. 'It's a different climate,' says Jeremy. 'But we know how warmly the festival was welcomed in 2024 and we've doubled down on our commitment to progress 2025. Our indigenous language deserves centre stage and we're very grateful and humbled by those who believe in our kaupapa and share our commitment to Toitū Te Reo.' That support includes not just iwi and hapū, but a raft of businesses and volunteers who have already 'jumped in the waka' to deliver a packed schedule of kapa haka, symposiums, interactive workshops and wānanga, toi Māori, live podcasts, kai and more. Although the festival will inhabit a smaller footprint this year, it will again centre around the Toitoi Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre. Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says her Council welcomes the festival's return. Te reo Māori is a taonga, she says, and the festival is instrumental in recognising and celebrating it as such. 'I was very proud when this world-first event was held in Heretaunga Hastings last year, and we saw how affirming and uplifting it was for all who attended. 'It created a real buzz in our city centre, showcasing our first people and our first language and honouring and celebrating our unique partnership here in Aotearoa – as captured and defined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.' Festival patrons Te Arikinui Kuini Ngawai Hono i te Po and Dr Sir Tīmoti Kāretu remain closely involved. 'Toitū Te Reo is a transformative bicultural opportunity for everyone,' concludes Jeremy. 'And it's even more important that we show up and show what we stand for in 2025, when the political discourse around te reo can be so toxic. 'We're extremely pleased at what we delivered in year one, excited about year two, and already dreaming up ways to make Toitū Te Reo an annual event for our region and our country.'
