Summarised by Centrist
The Justice Select Committee has recommended the English Language Bill be passed without changes, despite almost two-thirds of submitters opposing it.
The bill would recognise English as an official language of New Zealand alongside te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
English already has de facto official status, meaning it is widely used and accepted as an official language, but that status is not currently set in legislation.
The proposed law is part of the coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First.
The committee received 1601 written submissions and heard from 22 submitters.
Supporters said the bill would remove confusion, reflect everyday reality and address concerns that English is treated differently from New Zealand’s other official languages.
Opponents argued the bill was unnecessary, risked undermining te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, and could stoke division.
Labour said English already has official status through custom and usage and does not need legislative protection to survive.
“This bill, in practice, changes nothing,” Labour said. “It is a waste of time.”
The Greens called the bill “frivolous and petty” and said official language status is usually used to protect languages under threat.
Justice Select Committee chair Andrew Bayly rejected claims the bill would undermine other official languages.
“Those other official languages already have bespoke legislation and there was no way that this was an attempt to undermine them,” Bayly said.
He said the bill simply recognised that English is commonly used in New Zealand and is “a common language of the government”.
