New Zealand PM defends removal of Māori phrases from lunar new year invitation, claims not a snub of Indigenous language.

New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon defends removal of basic Māori phrases from lunar new year invitation to Australian official, stating it was not a snub of the Indigenous language. The incident comes amid Luxon's government facing criticism for reversing policies favoring Indigenous people and language. Luxon assured that his government values the Māori language. The invitation, sent to Australia's arts minister, had originally contained Māori phrases for "hello" and "New Zealand," but Luxon claimed the decision to remove them was to keep the language simple and clear when speaking to Australians. The language controversy follows recent accusations of bullying, racism, and insults in New Zealand's Parliament.

August 07, 2024
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