Hardly suitable Language nonsense

If we are going to debate a name change for our capital city I suggest we listen to thosewith local knowledge, rather than outsiders affiliated to non-local tribes.

The realNew Zealand name for Wellington is Poneke, a Ma¯ori version of Port Nicholson that is well entrenched, as can be seen on city council vehicles.

Te Whanganui a Tara is amyth (a good myth) but is hardly a suitable substitute for a country’s capital. Will it finish up as Tara or Whanganui in real life?

Graeme MacFarlane, Raumati Beach

Once again New Zealand has to endure a Ma¯ori Language Week. Every news bulletin on TV and radio begins with several sentences in a language that an overwhelming percentage of our population does not understand nor is interested in understanding.

The Dominion Post and other newspapers have a smattering of Ma¯ori

language that readers slide over with no interest whatsoever.

If the Ma¯ori language is so important, so valued, why is it that such a small percentage of Ma¯ori bother to learn it? The Government wants to see one million people speaking Ma¯ori by 2040. It must know that this is unattainable but political expedience means it continues to promote such nonsense.

The time to push theMa¯ori language on non-Maori iswhen every Ma¯ori is truly fluent in the language.

Reg Fowles, Waikanae widespread concern acrossmany communities.

If the Government is in a ‘‘referendum mode’’, then let the people decide by such a referendum (democratically) without having it ‘‘imposed’’ by aminority and a bunch of politically correct do-gooders.

Some of the names proposed in Support for reverting to Ma¯ori name of capital (Sept 16) are virtually unpronounceable tomany Kiwis, let alone for tourists.

The name Aotearoa is creeping in by stealth. This is New Zealand, and unless the majority of citizens determine otherwise, that is our country’s official name. VictorWard, Lower Hutt