NZ First leader Winston Peters has promised to make English an official language as part of his platform to "deal to this racism".
Speaking today at a public meeting in Auckland's Pukekohe, Peters said it amazes him that English is not an official language of New Zealand while te reo Māori and NZ sign language are.
"Being that we are an English-speaking country, it is bizarre that we have to do this, but this is how far this extremism has taken our country," Peters said.
English already enjoys de-facto official status, being spoken by 95.4% of the population, according to the 2018 national census. It has never been an official language.
The distinction has been explained in response to previous attempts to make English an official language by Otago law professor Andrew Geddis as an opportunity "to affirmatively grant the right to use them [te reo and NZSL] in particular, specified situations where they otherwise could not be used. This is not the case with English."
It is assumed, both unofficially and officially, that English is the language already spoken by most New Zealanders, with a minimum proficiency in it required for many visas.
Peters, however, said it's "just commonsense" to enshrine the language, protecting it from attacks he sees being carried out by "the new fascists" in government.
He also rallied against "ideological mumbo jumbo pushing to change the name of our country to Aotearoa".
Furthermore, Peters said: "New Zealand First will formally withdraw New Zealand from UNDRIP, and its imposed race-based obligations, and restore our country's constitutional sovereignty and democracy."
UNDRIP, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a legally non-binding resolution the United Nations passed in 2007. The purpose of the declaration is to emphasise the rights of indigenous people, prohibit discrimination and encourage co-operation with them by governments.
Peters, alongside the Helen Clark Labour government, voted against the resolution in 2007. New Zealand then endorsed the declaration in 2010 under John Key's National government.
Peters said UNDRIP and He Puapua, a report commissioned by the Labour-NZ First government in 2019 and leaked by the National party in 2021, "are race-based preference".
"If New Zealand First had seen that final report then we would have rejected UNDRIP, as we did in 2007.
"The National/Act/Māori Party signing up to UNDRIP, and the Labour/Green Parties joining them, in imposing United Nations obligations on New Zealand’s sovereignty, has got to be challenged," he said.
The 1News Verian Poll recorded 3% support for New Zealand First in July. In mid-August a Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll saw the party rise to 5.8%, just enough to enter parliament.
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