The host of a Sky Australia television show is standing by his disparaging comments over the use of te reo Māori on tour posters by Kiwi band Six60.
Rowan Dean interviewed Jonathan Ayling, chief executive of the NZ Free Speech Union on his show, The World According to Rowan Dean, on November 1 via Sky News Australia.
Dean made wild claims, suggesting the New Zealand Government was forcing 'language compliance' along with replacing the use of English with te reo. He took offence at a Six60 poster advertising its upcoming tour.
"It's all in Māori, there's not a word of English anywhere in there," he said (even though there was).
“If you listen to your various TV shows, Jacinda Ardern even addressing the United Nations, there’s a lot of Māori coming in. Surely there are plenty of people, a large proportion of people that don’t even speak Māori.” he said.
In response to Dean’s comments, the band posted a clip of his tirade, followed by clips of past performances showing the band showcasing Māori culture in front of packed-out crowds.
"We got called out for putting te reo on our poster, saying it’s against free speech. SIX60 is all about bringing people together no matter the language," they wrote.
"Free tickets to this guy if he wants to experience some positivity."
1News asked Dean if he would apologise over his comments but he declined.
“Thanks for your offer but I have already responded to the band and invited them onto my show when they come to Sydney,” Dean said.
Today Ayling reflected on the interview with Dean, saying his questions were unscripted and he was unprepared for such a digression.
“My impression of the interview was that it would be about Minister Allan's hate speech laws. This was my first time on his show.
“As I pointed out in the interview, te reo is an official language of New Zealand, and an important part of our culture. Free speech guarantees Six60, or anyone, the right to express themselves in te reo. In order to enable the voices of all Kiwis, the Free Speech Union insists that others cannot control the way they voice their speech (ie what language or which words). Likewise however, to Rowan Dean's point, free speech also protects the rights for Kiwis who don't want to use te reo."
Ayling said Dean’s experience of the use of te reo in New Zealand was obviously “foreign”.
“This struck me as an Australian looking into a different context, where Kiwis use and value te reo in ways that are different to the Australian experience with indigenous languages. It was apparently very foreign to him.”
“I reminded Dean that te reo is an entirely legitimate way for Kiwis to express themselves, and that to deny them this right was to undermine their free speech. This is an opportunity for Kiwis to demonstrate our robust defence of free speech as a society, no matter who is speaking or how they are voicing their views,” Ayling said.
"I'm pleased to hear that Rowan Dean is willing to talk with Six60, and hope they accept his invitation to represent their perspective and the value of their reo."
The show was broadcast in New Zealand on Sky but is not produced by them.
“Sky News Australia is one of our pass-through channels (in the same vein as CNN and the BBC), and we don’t have any editorial control over the content on those channels," Sky said.
“That said, we’d like to make it clear that we don’t support the comments made by Rowan Dean.
“Here at Sky New Zealand, we celebrate Aotearoa’s diversity and especially tangata whenua. We’re proud to broadcast commentary of key sport matches in te reo Māori for rugby, netball and league - and we celebrate and encourage our team and whānau to embrace their reo and te ao Māori, alongside other cultures and languages.”
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