This has not happened, but an instant translation service in te reo Maori for MPs in the House was established in 2009.
These days, there is "much more sensitivity" towards te reo than in the past, he says, but there is still room for improvement - particularly in pronunciation by politicians and some mainstream broadcasters.
"Some are so way out that we don't know what they are saying.
"I heard a man talking about a place called 'trangamoan' and it is actually Turanga o Moana. I've heard some reporters call Sir Jerry Mateparae, which is a beautiful Maori name, matteypareye and it's disgraceful. In the end Parekura [Horomia] had his name pronounced correctly before he left; they used to call him Parekoora Horrormia, so it's a good example of how change has taken place."
TVNZ's editor of daily content, Graeme Muir, said the broadcaster received feedback - mostly from Te Karere staff - about occasional pronunciation lapses but its reporters were striving to improve.
Its Maori department held te reo workshops, which all journalists were invited to attend.
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"We're proud of the fact the majority of our team have excellent pronunciation of te reo Maori, and that those who are less proficient are always striving to improve."
3 News Auckland bureau chief Keith Slater said the channel was the first to greet viewers in Maori and good pronunciation was expected from its reporters.
He said many were learning the language - including four of its senior staff, who took pronunciation training at Maori Television last year.
"All of the journalists found the experience rewarding and enjoyable. We expect to do the same for a similar number this year."
Maori Language Commission acting chief executive Pita Paraone said broadcasters had "greatly improved" over the past 10 years to the point that only a minority of presenters had pronunciation difficulties.
"We note some exemplars such as Hilary Barry, Patrick Gower and Jim Hickey who all use good pronunciation most of the time and set a good example for the community as it is a powerful medium.
"We agree that politicians should also lead by example."
Longtime TV news presenter glad he's making progress
Peter Williams has been with TVNZ for 35 years. He talks about the challenges he's had with te reo Maori and the changes he's seen at the state broadcaster.
Peter Williams.
What Maori words have you had difficulty with?
Words with r and u in proximity. Tariana Turia's electorate always keeps me on my toes ... That's Te Tai Hauauru! The famous falls near Waitangi - Haruru - aren't quite as bad!
How have you gone about improving your pronunciation, and why?
Funnily enough I always thought I was okay. I've been taught Maori pronunciation since I was a trainee radio announcer with the old NZBC in 1973. In those days you had to pass tests in Maori, and French and German, before you moved up a pay grade. But I found TV had much slacker attitudes when I started at TV One in 1979. It was really slack among sports commentators and news reporters. I fell into bad habits. So when I moved from sports to being a news anchor 15 years ago, I needed a few rough edges knocked out of me. I'm glad some discerning ears think I have made progress.
How have attitudes towards te reo changed since you started at TVNZ?
We never started any show with "kia ora" back in the 1980s. It wasn't just TVNZ - it was the entire community. I was at Twickenham in 1999 when Hinewehi Mohi sang the national anthem in Maori for the first time at an All Blacks match. I remember hearing about the outrage in NZ at her performance. I think every New Zealander should learn the verse in Maori. There used to be pushback about te reo initiatives at work. But now having people like Scotty Morrison and Tini Molyneux taking a more relaxed approach to us rough-edged Pakeha has had a really good impact. Long may it continue. My 3-year-old grandson is being taught to say Maori words at kindergarten, and we'll soon have a generation where correct pronunciation and increased use of te reo will be second nature. That's how it should be.
Words of the day
Social media
Tweet - T?hau
Twitter - Pae t?hau (the platform for tweeting)
Facebook - Pukamata
Instagram - Pae?hua
Vine - Te aka
Hashtag - Tohumarau
Source: Maori Language Commission
