Plans to introduce bilingual road signs throughout New Zealand have become a political battleground, as arguments over racial politics become increasingly prominent in the country’s election race.
Last week, New Zealand opened public consultation on plans to create bilingual road signs in English and te reo Māori, the indigenous language of Aotearoa. Transport agency Waka Kotahi said the signs were “an opportunity for te reo Māori to be seen in our communities and support language learning and revitalisation,” and that “making te reo Māori a part of our everyday lives promotes cultural understanding and social cohesion.”
