Watch for the avalanche of editorials and columnists accusing Winston Peters of dog whistling over his weekend speech. But, indisputably he was 100% right on every assertion and he spoke for the silent majority.
I’ve raised the name-change issue before, this initially a decision by unknown public servants about 2010 during the Key administration, to bang Aotearoa on our passports.
If the name of the country is to be changed, as I’ve always argued it should be, New Zealand being a misnomer, then that’s a matter SOLELY for the public to decide in a referendum. And the options should not be New Zealand or Aotearoa but a single vote on changing the name to one out of a range of options, these to be subsequently presented in a vote.
So if the referendum found for a name change, a Commission should be established. NOT TO DECIDE FOR US, but to hear public submissions on a range of names to be put forward to a further referendum.
My pick, and I may be wrong, is we will not get to that stage as regrettably the silent majority will opt for the status quo.
Winston’s speech simply highlighted the utter inadequacy of the Nats who should be saying these things. It’s why I wrote them off decades back.
One final observation. The fast-failing utterly Woke saturated Stuff’s website has a heading “Aotearoa left off world maps”.
There’s a simple reason for that; specifically there’s no such country.
18 Comments
However, as we all know by now, Winston is doing no more than what he deems will serve Winston and if that means inflicting ardern on us again should he ever be in a position to make that decision he will, if it is good for Winston.
It may have begun life as a misnomer, but is now well established as the country’s name. Leave well alone.
No it is not – the silent majority are diametrically opposed to having this forced upon us.
Agree
Well established by whom? The media? Is that who decides now?
Sorry Brenda but it just isn’t accepted.
Polling last year in October showed 61% of New Zealanders rejected the name.
Personally I don’t mind changing the name but that needs to be done by a Referendum, not by some people stealthily forcing it on us.
However, I am bemused by those who are being taken in by the fabrication around how the name ‘Aotearoa’ came about.
I think Brenda is referring to the name of our country, New Zealand, not the made-up Aoteablabla one.being forced upon us by the idiots
I think that you will find that Sir Bob was referring to the moniker New Zealand being a misnomer.
Most of these comments are confused or confusing. Brenda and Sir Robert were referencing NZ as the misnomer (nothing to do with Holland) not Aotearoa. And the poll last October found 61% against changing to Aotearoa.
Correct. I was referring to New Zealand as the misnomer. However, the misnomer has taken on a legitamacy through decades of use; and that’s the way languages can evolve. Sorry for not making that clear.
Winston has nailed it again when he describes the Labour Government an “unsafe government”. That there is a perfect slogan this lot where it hurts.
I am surprised you haven’t commented on stuff now saying after any persons name, their iwi ancestry (see the Kennedy point marina article today) . Perhaps they may start doing it for us all, as i would like to sticky beak into where all residents of NZ originally came from. Albeit today I noted one person had three iwi listed, so for some people of various mixed origins it may take up a bit of the actual article. But wokeism does have its price and if we have to reduce amount of actual facts on a issue so be it .
In regards to Winstone, after reading it and thinking what you are saying (agreeance), i went into shock realising I must be getting old, to be falling into the NZ First target market.
What name should it be called? Jacindastan? Outter Rower? Australia?
So, if we are called New Zealanders, then would we also be known as Aotearoan’s ??
Nope – all you could be called is ‘Tangata Whenua’
Winston Peters can always be counted on to say the right things, but he can also be counted on to do the wrong things.
Its an odd situation and one that is hard to imagine being played out in other countries. I returned briefly to NZ after a decade in Australia and was disheartened by the childishness of the media, the continous hybrid babble of “English + Maori” and the Aotearoa thing. I found the main irritation the sheer phoniness of it all. Its not real. Give it a rest.
Winston will do well with this because (as with many other social changes in the last 20-30 years) there has been no consultation and he properly points to this as a source of festering resentment.
It’s all very well Winston breathing fire and brimstone. However, it was his act of appointing the Labour Party to the treasury benches that has gotten us to this sorry state of affairs. If he didn’t realise that they would wait him out during their first term, he is either incredibly naive or has not studied the history of coalition parties being booted out after one term (stand fast the Maori Party with John Key).