Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand defended his government's decision to exclude basic Maori phrases from a lunar new year invitation to Australia's arts minister. He jokingly attributed the exclusion to the need for "incredibly simple" language when dealing with Australians. This defense was an attempt to counter criticisms that the government is anti-Maori amid its broader policies reversing support for Indigenous language and people.
In a spirited parliamentary session, Luxon said that "in my dealings with Australians, it always pays to be incredibly simple and clear and use English." The deleted phrases included "tena koe" and "Aotearoa," which are widely recognized in New Zealand. Culture minister Paul Goldsmith, who signed off on the invite, justified these removals by stating the invitation did not need "a lot of te reo" – referring to the Maori language.
Luxon's government, which took office after the 2023 election, has sparked intense public debate about race relations. Key contentious issues include reverting to English names for government agencies previously given Maori titles and ending policies prioritizing Maori communities. Protestors gathered in Wellington this week to oppose changes to laws that currently acknowledge a child's Maori heritage in the child protection system. Despite the controversies, Luxon maintains, "We value te reo in this government." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
