July 08, 2014
Language agency cynical politics
Labour wants Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples to immediately withdraw his Bill setting up a new super-agency to oversee the governance of Te Reo Maori.
Spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta says the proposed Te Matawai will effectively replace the Maori Language Commission for no good reason and without any evidence it will protect Te Reo Maori.
She says the existing Maori Language Act was a result of a Waitangi Tribunal claim which sought to protect and enhance Te Reo Maori as a taonga and a significant reference point for Maori culture and identity.
The Maori Party wants to change that legislation with no proof the establishment of Te Matawai is consistent with the original purpose of the Maori Language Act.
Ms Mahuta says Dr Sharples’s attempt to rush through deficient legislation is cynical politics.
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