New Zealanders are getting ever so tantalisingly close to their general election.
As Kiwis get nearer to the big day, candidates and parties are clambering to get their policies out to as many people as possible in the hope it might sway them.
Rawiri Waititi, from the Māori Party, has announced his bold plans for the future of the country if he gets elected in Waiariki.
He is calling for New Zealand’s name to be changed to Aotearoa and have every place, town and city name replaced with their original Māori name by 2026.
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Credit: Rawiri Waititi/Facebook
The policy is part of the Te Wiki o te Reo Māori movement, which is the campaign to have more New Zealanders and more awareness for the Māori language.
Speaking at a school, Rawiri Waititi told a crowd: “It’s a bold move towards making te reo Māori a language for all of Aotearoa. It elevates te reo Māori to its rightful place, in a system that has long undervalued its significance.
“It is unacceptable that only 20 per cent of our people can speak their own language and that only three per cent of the country can speak its official language. We need to be doing more at a systemic level to protect and promote the reo of Aotearoa.”
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In addition to the name changes, the Māori Party hope to set up a Māori Standards Authority, which will have the power to establish cultural competency standards in public service departments. State broadcasters will also have to have a fluency test on the Māori language if they are to keep their jobs.
The party is also looking at increasing the education of their culture at school.
If they get enough power, they would like to see the Māori history and language to be made core curriculum subjects up to Year 10 at high school. All primary schools would have the same principles introduced and have half the curriculum dedicated to it by 2030.
Rawiri Waititi said: “Our people, our country are still feeling the impacts of our language being beaten out of us in our education system and it was successful.
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“We intend to start back there in a much more inclusive and less cruel way. Our education system must learn to respect and embrace te reo Māori as the indigenous language of this country. It all starts there.”
New Zealanders will head to the polls on October 17.
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