Government updates official branding to highlight English over te reo Māori - RNZ

Status as of 20 May 2026

What happened

The New Zealand Government has updated official branding to prioritise English over te reo Māori in May 2026.

Who feels it: All NZ Government agencies, public sector communications teams, Māori language stakeholders, and citizens accessing Government services.
Money in play: TBC
Timing: 20 May 2026
How it works: Government Communications and Branding Guidelines (mechanism TBC pending official announcement)
Key context: Audit all Government agency branding and website copy for te reo Māori placement and visibilityReview existing bilingual communication policies against updated official branding hierarchyMonitor whether this applies to Department of Internal Affairs, Te Puni Kōkiri, and other Māori-facing agenciesTrack any Te Tiriti-related legal or constitutional challenges to the branding changeCheck whether bilingual signage in public buildings will be affected
Wider effects: Te Tiriti, Māori language revitalisation, public sector equity and inclusion policies, Treaty settlements.

Tracked neutrally by LexNZ. Status reflects the primary source as of 15 June 2026. Not legal advice.