Govt support for Maori language plan uncertain

Pita Sharples is sceptical about how proposals to prevent the Maori language dying out will be received. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A plan to prevent the Maori language from dying out was launched today, but there are concerns about the Government's willingness to commit to it.

Te Paepae Motuhake, an independent Maori language review panel, released its report today following submissions from 15 hui around New Zealand and interviews with government agencies.

Among its recommendations, the panel proposed introducing a Minister of Maori Language, and redirecting government funding to focus on promoting te reo in families.

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples, who attended the report's launch in Wellington, said he was not confident about the Government support the plan would receive, noting that the establishment of the minister's position was likely to be a problem for some.

"It's a big hurdle for them to get their head around," he told media.

"Ministers own their money and their projects, and for them to have pressure to change major thrusts is going to be hard for them, but I'm really confident that they'll sit down and have the discussion."

The strategy spans over a timeframe of nearly 40 years, with an eventual goal of having 80 per cent of Maori speaking te reo by 2050.

Dr Sharples said the timeframe set down for the plan gave him more hope it could be implemented.

"I was really happy the way they accepted a long-term solution, I expected them to want change tomorrow, next year, before the election or something," he said.

"That is so marvellous because that is what it's about really. Te reo is forever, so we must plan carefully, one block at a time, to get this in place."

Finance Minister Bill English was positive about the strategy, but made it clear there would be no new provisions in the budget for developing Maori language.

"I think it's a big step forward in how particularly Maori see their responsibility for the retention of the language, but I'd be expecting them to make any changes within the current budget," he said.

"The report shows there is already a lot of money committed to retention of Maori language and if they can reorganise that better and save some that would be good.

"These are just recommendations from a group, I think there's some good material in that report but it's got quite a long way to go before the Government has signed off on any changes."

Emeritus Professor Sir Tamati Reedy, the panel's chairman, said the Maori communities involved in the report had been shocked to hear the about the state of the language.

Figures in the report showed the level of Maori te reo speakers dropped from 25.2 per cent in 2001 to 23.7 per cent in 2006.

"That woke a lot of people up and there was a lot of discussion on that, some didn't want to believe it," he said.

Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, who was heavily involved in the kauhanga reo, Maori language revival movement in the 1980s, also spoke at today's launch, saying the report gave Maori a chance to come together collectively and collaborate on a way forward.

"While Government is doing their headache, it's for us to take this report, have a good look at it, and we do something about it," she said.

"I believe the time has come. No one organisation, no one individual can do it, but watch this space if we all do it together."

- NZPA