A bill has been introduced to make English an official language of New Zealand.

Despite being the country's most-spoken language, it is not an official language by law.

The bill provoked ridicule in Parliament from the opposition, but was staunchly defended by Winston Peters.

AUT Associate Professor of Linguistics Sharon Harvey says that language laws exist to protect languages that aren't as widely used, and English doesn't fall in to this category. 

"If we look at like jurisdictions like Australia, federal level of the US and the UK, those jurisdictions don't have English as an official language and don't see any need to."

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A bill has been introduced to make English an official language of New Zealand.
Despite being the country's most-spoken language, it is not an official language by law.
The bill provoked ridicule in Parliament from the opposition, but was staunchly defended by Winston Peters.
AUT Associate Professor of Linguistics Sharon Harvey says that language laws exist to protect languages that aren't as widely used, and English doesn't fall in to this category.&nbsp;
"If we look at like jurisdictions like Australia, federal level of the US and the UK, those jurisdictions don't have English as an official language and don't see any need to."
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Sharon Harvey: AUT Associate Professor of Linguistics discusses debate around making English an official language

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f354e429-bd43-4b85-bcd9-b3f70054f1e7/transcript

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 20 February, 2026, a royal expert tells us why Andrew's arrest is the biggest scandal in the history of the British monarchy.

Why more than half of our police officers are thinking of quitting the job.

We hear from a linguistics expert on why English doesn't need to be an official language.

And on the sports huddle, Nathan Limm and Adam Cooper debate if it's ok to ask an Olympic athlete if snaring a silver medal is a disappointment.

Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 20 February, 2026, a royal expert tells us why Andrew's arrest is the biggest scandal in the history of the British monarchy.
Why more than half of our police officers are thinking of quitting the job.
We hear from a linguistics expert on why English doesn't need to be an official language.
And on the sports huddle, Nathan Limm and Adam Cooper debate if it's ok to ask an Olympic athlete if snaring a silver medal is a disappointment.
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 20 February 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/2aae63c4-aac5-4eee-9096-b3f700662b82/transcript

Let’s not beat around the bush: the biggest news in the world is the arrest of Andrew, the King’s brother. It’s huge, not least because the last time a royal was arrested was around 350 years ago, when Charles I was taken prisoner and ultimately executed.

What also makes this so significant is that Andrew wasn’t, as is usually the case with celebrities, politely asked to come into a police station to assist with inquiries. He was arrested at his home, which was then searched by police for further evidence. That distinction is massive.

That said, anyone predicting either the collapse or the survival of the royal family today is being premature — and there’s plenty of that going on. The charge Andrew faces, misconduct in public office, is apparently very difficult to prove in the UK because of the way the law is written. So this may end up going nowhere.

So far, I’d say Charles has handled both today’s developments and the wider scandal leading up to them far more decisively than even the late Queen handled Andrew’s previous indiscretions, and that does help the monarchy. Most importantly, the key figures in the royal family — William, Kate and their children — seem far enough removed from anything Andrew may have done to remain safe from fallout.

On the other hand, what’s happened today is only the beginning. Next may come formal charges, then potentially a prosecution, then possibly a judge and jury. If it gets that far, the risk to the royal family increases dramatically, because it could reveal who knew what about Andrew’s behaviour, and for how long.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, it’s this: the system is working. No one is above the law — not even the brother of the King.

LISTEN ABOVE

Let’s not beat around the bush: the biggest news in the world is the arrest of Andrew, the King’s brother. It’s huge, not least because the last time a royal was arrested was around 350 years ago, when Charles I was taken prisoner and ultimately executed.
What also makes this so significant is that Andrew wasn’t, as is usually the case with celebrities, politely asked to come into a police station to assist with inquiries. He was arrested at his home, which was then searched by police for further evidence. That distinction is massive.
That said, anyone predicting either the collapse or the survival of the royal family today is being premature — and there’s plenty of that going on. The charge Andrew faces, misconduct in public office, is apparently very difficult to prove in the UK because of the way the law is written. So this may end up going nowhere.
So far, I’d say Charles has handled both today’s developments and the wider scandal leading up to them far more decisively than even the late Queen handled Andrew’s previous indiscretions, and that does help the monarchy. Most importantly, the key figures in the royal family — William, Kate and their children — seem far enough removed from anything Andrew may have done to remain safe from fallout.
On the other hand, what’s happened today is only the beginning. Next may come formal charges, then potentially a prosecution, then possibly a judge and jury. If it gets that far, the risk to the royal family increases dramatically, because it could reveal who knew what about Andrew’s behaviour, and for how long.
If you’re looking for a silver lining, it’s this: the system is working. No one is above the law — not even the brother of the King.
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: It's too early to predict the fate of the royals

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a5d95eb7-f4df-4832-a506-b3f7005d8ebc/transcript

A new poll suggests the public's on board with the Government's proposed ban on card surcharges, just as the proposed law has been put on hold. 

The Government announced plans to ban all credit card and contactless surcharges last year, but faced criticism from businesses who'd be forced to stump the cost. 

Consumer NZ Campaign Manager Jessica Walker told Heather du Plessis-Allan that there is a middle-ground for both parties to settle on. 

"Too many surcharges are excessive or just not disclosed or unavoidable. So there would need to be some really firm caps in place to stop consumers being ripped off."

LISTEN ABOVE

A new poll suggests the public's on board with the Government's proposed ban on card surcharges, just as the proposed law has been put on hold.&nbsp;
The Government announced plans to ban all credit card and contactless surcharges last year, but faced criticism from businesses who'd be forced to stump the cost.&nbsp;
Consumer NZ Campaign Manager Jessica Walker told Heather du Plessis-Allan that there is a middle-ground for both parties to settle on.&nbsp;
"Too many surcharges are excessive or just not disclosed or unavoidable. So there would need to be some really firm caps in place to stop consumers being ripped off."
LISTEN ABOVE

Jessica Walker: Consumer NZ Campaign Manager comments on Government's u-turn on banning card surcharges

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/754a88bd-20b4-47a9-a8e3-b3f70059a9f0/transcript

Sharon Harvey: AUT Associate Professor of Linguistics discusses debate around making English an official language

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