Supermarket's 'give it a go' Maori language lesson gets miffed customer going

Foodtown's efforts to help the "give it a go" Maori language effort has lost it an Auckland customer who says he was offended by a lesson on the store's public address system.

The message, part of the Celebrate New Zealand promotion by Foodtown owner Progressive Enterprises, says: "For the entire month of February we celebrate all that's great about our country. We celebrate New Zealand. It's a four-week festival celebrating food, people and the culture of our country."

The message is then repeated in Maori.

Remuera businessman Alan Walker said he was at the checkout in the Meadowbank Foodtown when he heard the bilingual message.

"It was like, 'We are going to help you learn Maori'. But I don't want this sort of thing forced on me.

"I'll decide whether I want to learn a language - whether it's Maori or Chinese or any other.

"It is offensive, in my opinion, to blast shoppers with this whilst one concentrates on getting household provisions."

Mr Walker said free "Give it a Go" Maori phrase booklets were available in the store.

He now shopped at New World.

"I wonder how many other customers they lose over this?"

Progressive Enterprises managing director Richard Umbers said the Maori voice-over was a request from the Human Rights Commission.

He was disappointed at Mr Walker's complaint because the response so far had been positive.

The voice-over, which was only a small part of the promotion, finished last Sunday, he said.

Foodtown Meadowbank shoppers contacted by the Herald said they were not offended by the message.

Barbara Houlding said she was not paying much attention to the message but it was fine by her.

A shopper who identified herself as Beautrice did not mind the message as long as it was not intrusive.

Sam Sefuiva of the Human Rights Commission said the Celebrate New Zealand promotion was a lead-up to Race Relations Day on March 21.

Sharon Armstrong of the Maori Language Commission said more than 600,000 copies of the booklet had gone out to Progressive stores. "The response has been fantastic."