Are We Going Official with the English language?
Image by Alyssa George.
The English Language Bill was recently introduced by political party NZ First and is currently before Parliament. The bill has had its first reading on March 3, and the second is yet to be announced (at time of publication).
If you’ve made it here, you’re either thinking: “I know what this is”, or “wtf is this about?”
This brief introduction may be a quick refresh for some and the beginning of a news deep-dive for others.
The bill aims to make English an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand. Currently, only te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are official legislative languages.
English is referred to as a de facto language in New Zealand, meaning it is used officially for governmental purposes and in daily life, but it is not an official language by law.
Winston Peters said this bill would “clear[] up a long-held assumption that English was already an official language...”.
While the proposal may sound odd to some, New Zealand is not the only English-speaking country without English as an official language. Both the United Kingdom and Australia do not have any official language, despite English being the most spoken in their governments, media and everyday communication.
Even the United States did not formally recognise English as an official language until March 1st, 2025, when President Donald Trump made the declaration.
Supporters of the bill argue the legislation simply formalises what already exists in practice. English is already the dominant language used across the government, Parliament, courts and in most public communication.
However, critics say the bill could have broader implications for language use in New Zealand.
According to RNZ, Massey University senior lecturer and sociolinguist, Dr Julia de Bres said “It can be framed as a tidying up exercise, but if English is named as 'official', that'll be used by people to impose English in places where otherwise te reo Māori might have had a chance".
The bill was part of the coalition agreement between NZ First and National.
It also has the support of ACT, while Te Pāti Māori and the Green Party have voiced resistance to the proposal.
While much of the public debate has focused on the symbolic meaning of the bill, another question remains: how much will it cost?
Newsroom reported extra staffing for the Treaty Principles Bill cost over $270 thousand alone. RNZ reported the Regulatory Standards Bill costs over $18 million annually.
These examples raise the question of what type of cost New Zealand could be looking at for the English Language Bill.
Currently, there is no detailed public cost breakdown for the bill. However, legislation often comes with expenses related to things such as policy development, parliamentary time and legal drafting.
This raises a broader question about priorities.
At a time when many New Zealanders are facing rising living costs, public debate is increasingly focusing on whether introducing new legislation, which may not significantly change everyday language use, is the best use of government resources.
For some, the bill will simply be a clarification of English’s status in New Zealand law. For others, it represents a symbolic political move rather than a necessary legislative change.
As the bill moves through Parliament, the question remains on what the bill will change and whether the cost of making that change is justified.
References used: