Shame about the prime minister

Willie Jackson's Opinion

Monday, 19th September, 2011

If you doubted the strength of Maori culture in this country you would have had no doubts about it after the world cup opening last weekend.

From the majestic waka flotilla to the beautiful karanga and then the performance from New Zealand's top kapa haka group Te Matarae i Orehu, Maori culture dominated.

It was a ceremony that's been lauded and acclaimed by observers here and overseas.

I was privileged to be a guest at Eden Park courtesy of Maori Television so I was unaware of the debacle that had occurred outside the park.

However what I think is a debacle was John Key's opening speech.

It was shocking that our prime minister opened the Rugby World Cup to an audience of a billion people worldwide and didn't say one word in Maori.

By contrast, the chairman of the International Rugby Board Bernard Lapasset appropriately started his speech with a greeting in Maori.

John Key's oversight was lost on our national media with no reports of his stuff-up.

Obviously no one thought it was a big deal.

But it's important that John Key is hauled over the coals for what he did.

His apologists have gone into overdrive and said that Maori are lucky to have a Maori Party coalition arrangement and that John Key does use Maori language when it's appropriate.

In fact even John Key has said that he hasn't been reticent in using te reo Maori in the past. And of course that's all true.

We've heard him do his mihi at Waitangi, Ratana Pa and recently when he opened our Whanau Ora building in west Auckland.

However John Key and his apologists have all missed the point.

Maori language should not be reserved for when John Key is doing his "Maori thing".

It should be used everywhere.

For him to just trot it out on Maori occasion’s smacks of insincerity.

It also raises questions about whether there really is a commitment from the government to advance Maori language.

Or is that commitment just token?

John Key's view that his oversight isn't a big deal because he's used the language in the past is reckless and unacceptable.

Maori language is an official language of this country.

Former governments have been responsible for the near extinguishment of Te Reo Maori so there is a huge debt owed to Maori.

When the leader of our country has a chance to speak Maori in front of the biggest international audience ever, he should use the opportunity to showcase our country's main point of difference which is Maori language and culture.

John Key should apologise properly for his muck-up and if he doesn't then voters, Maori in particular, should take note and vote accordingly.

Next Article: Dont trust the French