New Zealand legislation making English an official language ridiculed as ‘pathetic’

New Zealand's parliament passed legislation on July 30 granting English official status alongside te reo Māori and New Zealand sign language, despite ministry of justice advice that no concerns existed about English's standing. The bill, part of a coalition deal between the centre-right National party and populist New Zealand First, drew criticism from linguists and legal experts who noted English is already spoken by 95% of the population and considered official through usage and custom. Māori MP Tamatha Paul called the law "pathetic" in a viral speech, while linguists argued official status was designed to protect threatened languages, not an already-dominant tongue.