New Zealand has a new official language - English

Key Points:

• New Zealand lawmakers have passed a bill making English an official language alongside Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, despite English already being widely used in government and legal settings.
• The bill, championed by the nationalist New Zealand First party, faced criticism and ridicule, with opponents arguing it was unnecessary and could undermine the status of Māori and sign languages.
• Opposition voices, including Green party MP Tamatha Paul, condemned the move as a waste of time and highlighted the historical marginalization of the Māori language, which was only recognized officially in the 1980s after significant activism.
• Supporters of the bill, such as New Zealand First’s Casey Costello, defended it as a formal recognition of English’s long-accepted status and insisted it would not introduce new rights or harm other languages.
• Public submissions showed nearly two-thirds opposed the bill, expressing concerns about resource use, social division, and the potential weakening of protections for minority languages.