Thank goodness for Wayne Mapp
I’m glad Wayne Mapp is National’s spokesman for the Eradication of Political Correctness - it really is an invaluable source of entertainment.
This morning’s Dom Post has a short article about Mapp’s latest hobbyhorse - bilingual census forms - which leaves him looking like a complete wally. Not only does it contain this fabulous quote -
Statistics New Zealand has decided our country should not only have two official languages, but that we should also become bilingual.
- it also points out that bilingual forms were introduced in 1996, under a National government. Nice one. Given that Statistics New Zealand believes the bilingual forms have been valuable for encouraging Maori participation in the census, I’d say their introduction was one of the better decisions National made while in power.
Don Brash might want to double check the notes for his Orewa speech tonight in case any own goals or clangers a la Mapp have made their way in.
January 31st, 2006 at 5:56 pm
He thoughtfully clarifies that priceless quote later in the article: “But Dr Mapp said there was a difference between Maori being an official language and New Zealand’s becoming bilingual.”
Exactly. It’s the difference between an empty, token gesture, and a meaningful one. Mapp clearly prefers empty, token gestures to meaningful ones - as is his right, but you’d think he’d avoid tarring his party with that brush. Brash must be tearing his hair out every time Mapp gets a quote.
February 1st, 2006 at 1:42 pm
What’s so good about getting people involved in the census? Why should I answer questions about myself and the way I live my life for the government to use? Why don’t they just start getting out of our lives?
February 1st, 2006 at 10:08 pm
Hold on a tick. I don’t think National should be given credit for being sensible in 1996. I doubt the content of the census form is a Cabinet level decision, generally. More likely that they just didn’t take any notice of the production of bilingual forms - it being a strikingly sensible and routine decision by Government Depts to produce relevent literature in a number of languages - until their research unit was told to highlight anything with a bit of Maori in it and send it to Mapp’s office.
February 2nd, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Adam Smith
“Why don’t they just start getting out of our lives? ”
Isn’t that your answer to all problems. ROFL