Live politics blog Dec 4
'It makes me sick': Willie Jackson on the government's intention to stop any more public servants getting extra pay for being proficient in te reo Māori
Willie Jackson, a Labour MP, says he is sickened by news the National-led government is looking into how it can stop public servants receiving a bonus for being proficient in te reo Māori, after it was first reported on RNZ.
Unions are promising to fight the move against the policy, which has been in place for decades including under previous National governments. More than a dozen state agencies pay te reo allowances starting at $500 and topping out at $3500 a year.
"It makes me sick," Jackson said.
"I have seen so much effort from not just Māori workers, pakeha workers make a real effort in their own time to learn the language. And they're great examples. Everyone else, previous governments both Labour and National, have rewarded those people and now they're saying they want to actually take that money off them. I think it's disgusting what we're reading what we read from Nicola Willis today."
He said the te reo Māori has been under threat for a long time and the government had made an effort to keep it alive through such policies.
National's coalition agreement with NZ First requires all public service departments to have their primary name in English, and for all Crown entities to "communicate primarily in English", except for those specifically related to Māori.
Unions are promising to fight the move against the policy, which has been in place for decades including under previous National governments. More than a dozen state agencies pay te reo allowances starting at $500 and topping out at $3500 a year.
"It makes me sick," Jackson said.
"I have seen so much effort from not just Māori workers, pakeha workers make a real effort in their own time to learn the language. And they're great examples. Everyone else, previous governments both Labour and National, have rewarded those people and now they're saying they want to actually take that money off them. I think it's disgusting what we're reading what we read from Nicola Willis today."
He said the te reo Māori has been under threat for a long time and the government had made an effort to keep it alive through such policies.
National's coalition agreement with NZ First requires all public service departments to have their primary name in English, and for all Crown entities to "communicate primarily in English", except for those specifically related to Māori.