Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today says it “always pays to be incredibly simple” when communicating with Australians.
He made the comments during Question Time in Parliament today, following a question from Labour leader Chris Hipkins on whether he backed Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith’s decision to remove te reo Māori salutations and the word Aotearoa from an official invitation to Matariki to his Australian counterpart.
It was not clear if Luxon intended his response as a joke.
Hipkins asked the Prime Minister: “Does his Minister of Arts Culture and Heritage’s decision to remove te reo Māori from formal letters inviting an Australian Minister — who is a champion of indigenous languages — to New Zealand for Matariki celebrations, reflect the standard of behaviour he expects of his Ministers?”
1News revealed Goldsmith’s directive to officials to amend the draft letter template yesterday, where Goldsmith said he wanted to “simplify” the letter. When asked if he thought his counterpart Tony Burke might not understand “Aotearoa”, he said: “yeah”.
Today in Parliament Luxon said the Government valued te reo Māori.
“What I’d also say to that member is the correspondence was being directed to an Australian Minister overseas … in my dealings with Australians it always pays to be incredibly simple and clear and use English.”
The comment was met with uproar in the House, causing Speaker Gerry Brownlee to pause proceedings until it settled.
Labour’s Māori development spokesperson Willie Jackson also addressed questions to Goldsmith in the House about the issue.
He asked if he thought it was appropriate to use te reo Māori in an invitation to Matariki, a celebration of the Māori new year.
Goldsmith said yes, it was, which was why the invitation contained te reo Māori. He also noted the invitation had been extended to Hipkins and he had declined to come to the official celebration at Treble Cone.
Jackson said: “What is the big problem with saying tēnā koe, which means ‘hello’, in his official invitation?”
Goldsmith repeated he was writing to an Australian Minister and thought “yours sincerely” would be “more easily understood” than the te reo version, “nāku noa, nā”.
“I’m amazed that that member thinks that this is a matter that deserves an urgent debate in the House and my writing to an Australian Minister is a matter of such interest.”
Jackson asked if Goldsmith would “do the consistent thing and advise the King of England, King of New Zealand, His Majesty King Charles to remove te reo Māori greetings from his Matariki message – if not, why not?”
Goldsmith said: “No, I wouldn’t make such instructions to the King of New Zealand.”
An unidentified member from the direction of Labour’s seats was heard yelling “tēnā koe!” across the House.
The office of Tony Burke, Australia’s Minister for the Arts and Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, has been approached for comment on Luxon’s remark.
1News yesterday revealed the Arts and Culture Minister had te reo greetings and the world Aotearoa removed from a Matariki invite for an Australian dignitary. (Source: Supplied)
