Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

MFAT Must Reverse Damaging Decision To Remove Te Reo From Ministerial Correspondence

The decision by the Foreign Affairs and Trade to remove te reo from Ministerial correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti.

"We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," said Marcia Puru, Acting Te Kaihautū Māori for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

"We are staggered Foreign Affairs has made this call before new Ministers are even sworn in - all ministries should be waiting for a clear direction from Ministers who themselves should be upfront with the public about their commitment to te reo.

"We have made such good progress as a country in honouring te Tiriti and breathing life into te reo Māori which has a special status as an official language.

"Our public sector has shown great leadership in this regard and all that now risks being undone. MFAT’s decision is a damaging step that if replicated across the public service would threaten the progress we have made as a nation in recent years in fostering healthy race relations.

"What kind of commitment to the Crown’s obligations to Te Tiriti does this represent? Has the chief executive of MFAT been paying lip service to the Government’s relationship with Māori until there is a change of government? Or does he just not understand what his comments do to the recognition of te reo Māori as an offical language of New Zealand and to the respect of Māori as Tangata Whenua.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"We totally agree with the some 300 MFAT workers who have protested this change and agree with them that this erodes trust in the Ministry’s commitment to te Tiriti. It is integral to their workplace culture and enriches our diplomatic presence around the world.

"This is the thin end of the wedge and must be resisted. The PSA will be raising this issue with chief executives urging them to resist this backsliding. We are pointing out that they have a legal obligation under the Public Sector Act 2020 to support the Crown’s relationship with Māori, and to develop a workplace culture that supports Māori aspirations.

"MFAT’s decision on te reo clearly flies in the face of this. The PSA urges members to make their views on the importance of te reo to their employers before MFAT’s decision becomes more common place," said Marcia Puru.

 

Te Kaihautū Māori role is to provide industrial, political and cultural leadership and advice across the PSA and support the advocacy for upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ao Māori across the union on behalf of our Māori.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On Secret Coalition Talks, Plus A Music Playlist

Routinely, the centre-right complains that Big Government treats people like children. Huh. Have to say, National, Act and New Zealand First are doing a pretty good job of infantilising the New Zealand public. We keep being told “good progress“ is being made in forming the next government, while getting no inkling about what that means in practice. In the information void, it's all guesswork. Maybe Act’s Treaty referendum is still on the table, maybe not. Maybe National’s tax cuts and foreign buyers tax are proving to be stumbling blocks, maybe not... More

Dr Bryce Edwards: Lobbyists Helping & Influencing The New National Government

New Zealand’s corporate lobbyists are currently carrying out major manoeuvres in order to ensure they are in the best possible position to influence the new Christopher Luxon-led government. Despite some of these moves being blatantly outrageous, there are no serious rules to regulate any of this... More


 
 
PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo From Ministerial Correspondence

The decision by Foreign Affairs and Trade to remove te reo from Ministerial correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More


Electoral Commmission: Amended Official Results Released

The Electoral Commission has released amended official results for the 2023 General Election. Checks of party, electorate and special votes have been completed and there are no changes to the overall results, successful candidates or allocation of seats. Turnout remains unchanged at 78.2%. More

Labour Party: Too Much At Risk From National’s Cuts

Every Kiwi under the age of 44 will be $100 a fortnight worse off from increase in age of superannuation. $2B in cuts to lowest income households, sending more kids into poverty. Over 300 mega landlords set to benefit from $1M in tax cuts. New evidence suggests Chinese buyers won’t be able to be taxed on house purchases, blowing revenue estimates out of the water. More


Taxpayers' Union: Kiwis Support Inflation-Adjustment Of Tax Brackets

63% of Kiwis support inflation adjustment of income tax brackets compared to just 14% who are opposed. There was majority support across every demographic (gender, age, area, economic status, & preferred political party). Kiwis are feeling the heat of bracket creep with inflation forcing them to pay more and more tax, even when their real income is not increasing. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.