Naming conventions for New Zealand by NZ Government Departments
Liz Simons made this Official Information request to Public Service Commission
The request was successful.
From: Liz Simons
Dear State Services Commission,
Use of Aotearoa instead of New Zealand
I wish to request under the official information act why Government departments are now naming New Zealand "Aotearoa", formally and only this instead of "New Zealand" and what the rational is for this. I also request any English and Maori naming conventions and when one should be used over the other in English and Maori text.
New Zealand is the legal name of our country no official name change or referendum has taken place to change this. In English text this should be used accordingly. An Act of Parliament is needed to change the name of New Zealand and this has not occurred.
Aotearoa is also actually one of the Māori names for the North Island of New Zealand, and has never included the South Island of New Zealand. Only after modern revisionism has this occurred. The name change without consulting the public is divisive and exclusionary. The official name New Zealand should be being used by Government departments in English text.
Please provide justification for.
Yours faithfully,
Liz Simons
From: Enquiries
Public Service Commission
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Dear Liz
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your OIA request below.
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Enquiries Team
īmēra: [1][email address]
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission [4]Facebook logo[5]Twitter
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[3]www.govt.nz
-----Original Message-----
From: Liz Simons <[FOI #15421 email]>
Sent: Monday, 10 May 2021 2:54 pm
To: Enquiries <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Naming conventions for New Zealand
by NZ Government Departments
Dear State Services Commission,
Use of Aotearoa instead of New Zealand
I wish to request under the official information act why Government
departments are now naming New Zealand "Aotearoa", formally and only this
instead of "New Zealand" and what the rational is for this. I also request
any English and Maori naming conventions and when one should be used over
the other in English and Maori text.
New Zealand is the legal name of our country no official name change or
referendum has taken place to change this. In English text this should be
used accordingly. An Act of Parliament is needed to change the name of New
Zealand and this has not occurred.
Aotearoa is also actually one of the Māori names for the North Island of
New Zealand, and has never included the South Island of New Zealand. Only
after modern revisionism has this occurred. The name change without
consulting the public is divisive and exclusionary. The official name New
Zealand should be being used by Government departments in English text.
Please provide justification for.
Yours faithfully,
Liz Simons
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From: Enquiries
Public Service Commission
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OIA 2021 0053 REPLY Liz Simons.pdf
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Dear Ms Simons
Please find attached our response to your below OIA request.
Kind regards
Enquiries Team
īmēra: [1][email address]
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission [4]Facebook logo[5]Twitter
logo[6]LinkedIn logo[7]Rainbow
[2]www.publicservice.govt.nz | Tick certified logo
[3]www.govt.nz
-----Original Message-----
From: Liz Simons <[FOI #15421 email]>
Sent: Monday, 10 May 2021 2:54 PM
To: Enquiries <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Naming conventions for New Zealand
by NZ Government Departments
Dear State Services Commission,
Use of Aotearoa instead of New Zealand
I wish to request under the official information act why Government
departments are now naming New Zealand "Aotearoa", formally and only this
instead of "New Zealand" and what the rational is for this. I also request
any English and Maori naming conventions and when one should be used over
the other in English and Maori text.
New Zealand is the legal name of our country no official name change or
referendum has taken place to change this. In English text this should be
used accordingly. An Act of Parliament is needed to change the name of New
Zealand and this has not occurred.
Aotearoa is also actually one of the Māori names for the North Island of
New Zealand, and has never included the South Island of New Zealand. Only
after modern revisionism has this occurred. The name change without
consulting the public is divisive and exclusionary. The official name New
Zealand should be being used by Government departments in English text.
Please provide justification for.
Yours faithfully,
Liz Simons
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[8][FOI #15421 email]
Is [9][SSC request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to State Services Commission? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[10]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[11]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
..........................................................................................................................................
Confidentiality notice: This email may be confidential or legally
privileged. If you have received it by mistake, please tell the sender
immediately by reply, remove this email and the reply from your system,
and don’t act on it in any other way. Ngā mihi.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.publicservice.govt.nz/
3. http://www.govt.nz/
4. https://www.facebook.com/SSCNZ/
5. https://twitter.com/StateServicesNZ
6. https://www.linkedin.com/company/state-s...
7. https://www.rainbowtick.nz/
8. mailto:[FOI #15421 email]
9. mailto:[SSC request email]
10. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
11. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
hide quoted sections
John Burns-Smith left an annotation ()
It might be worth reframing the question to include the dual language "Aotearoa New Zealand" combination.
The Public Service Commission reference "Aotearoa New Zealand" in its policy guidelines for the recently released New Zealand Government Identity. See page pages 3 & 4 of the PDF below.
https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/assets...
Page 3
"Imagery. Imagery will be contemporary and reflect the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand, our people and our landscape and environment."
Page 4
"The NZ Govt logo mark is design responsive, bilingual and incorporates where applicable the Coat of Arms, symbolising the mana of both languages in Aotearoa New Zealand, the sovereign nature of New Zealand and the authority of the Government."
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
Offensive? Unsuitable?
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Virginia Crawford left an annotation ()
This is really fudging the issue and clearly these changes are occurring by stealth, for example by the media (and also by government officials interviewed on radio and TV). Please take this issue further, Liz, and if necessary refer it to the Ombudsman.
Link to this