Why are licence tests available in Maori?

[Blind spot]

Well put phurrball

[Finn]

Im probably gonna rub a few peoples fur the wrong way here? Oh well

When was the last time you had a chat with a policeman in maori? Or saw a road sign written in maori?
My point is, a person who can speak maori, is still going to need to understand warning signs in english and what a police officer/road worker/other road user is saying to them, to be a safe road user.

Realistically, how exactly does one fuction within normal society without a simple understanding of english? If New Zealand was a bilingual society I wouldn't have a problem with it, in fact I'd probably be quite proud of my ablility to speak the native tongue.

So why do we have drivers licence tests in maori? For fun?? Is this not a gross waste of resources for P.C. 20th century bullshite?

It seems like an awful lot of bother for someone who has made a choice to speak maori exclusively, without learning basic english?? And thats before you have to find a bilingual tester for thier restricted licence...

I think we all know the answer to this. There should be 1000's more questions raised about laws and practices here in NZ but as someone pointed out - how dare you question government inititives especially when involving maori.

While there are a bunch of academic, man hating, left wing, hairy back females with hidden agendas running this country, what do you expect? They have infiltrated education, health, justice and every other agency with this BS.

We had our chance last year and we blew it.

[MisterD]

Would you pronounce German or French place names however it takes your fancy on a particular day? I'd love to be a fly on the wall while you were trying that wee trick on in France

That's the point isn't it? I've never had a French person give me shit for calling Paris "Pa-riss" when speaking English...sure when I'm speaking froglish I say "Pa-ree", but if I'm speaking English why do I need to pronounce "Wh" as "f"?

[Phurrball]

That's the point isn't it? I've never had a French person give me shit for calling Paris "Pa-riss" when speaking English...sure when I'm speaking froglish I say "Pa-ree", but if I'm speaking English why do I need to pronounce "Wh" as "f"?

Ahh, the letters chosen arbitrarily to represent the Maori language...that's a whole other academic debate. Usually a Maori place name does not have an English alternative - there are odd transliterations in Maori too, but these are distinct from the English word - eg. te Paipera Tapu is the bible I believe - just one example of an English word with a Maori transliterated equivalent. Some places have an English name too, but IMHO if it's in Maori - it doesn't hurt to make an effort. (And I ain't suggesting everyone become a pronounciation expert overnight. Maori is a different language family to ENglish) For my money, Maori names are often better than those in English. I mean - 'south' and 'north' islands!? 'New Zealand' Not exactly inspiring or original...

Nice rant good sound argument I dont agree with all youve said (snip)

Anything can be taken too far - hence why I'm not the only one suggesting it's too late for those of us who are old dogs to be taught new tricks. It's the generation in primary school we need to look to for change - there is way too little emphasis on language in NZ schools IMHO - and I'm not just talking te Reo - but bottom line, Maori is our other official language - it wouldn't hurt for the kids to know a bit and for official forms to be available in it. Yep, I know there are economic arguments, I dealt with them earlier.

P.C. in a lot of cases is the 'tail wagging the dog' - and that's what puts P.C. off-side with so many people.
FACT: Life is not fair, PARTICULARLY if you're a 'minority', that's the way it is and that's why the 'majority' are so 'anti' it, the minority are wanting things 'bent' to suit them and make things better for THEM at no or little benefit to the majority - or even to to the disadvantage of the majority.

I've got to deal with so much unreasonable P.C. in my job that it gets my back up almost straight away...grrr!!!

Sure, there are unreasonable things happening. Some would say that there are some in your line of work who are unreasonable too SD. As you know it isn't that simple. IMHO if a minority are genuinely being shat on, disadvantaged, or suffering it isn't a bad thing to weight things in their favour to even things up a bit.

BTW - I am the dreaded, so-called 'white, middle class male'. I've had a bloody good start in life and there are many things I'm thankful for. Not everyone is as lucky as me - I see nothing wrong with helping out those who need it. Some changes do need to be societal IMHO, effected in the same way that drink driving was made socially unacceptable...

[MSTRS:Me]

BTW - I am the dreaded, so-called 'white, middle class male'. I've had a bloody good start in life and there are many things I'm thankful for. Not everyone is as lucky as me - I see nothing wrong with helping out those who need it.

Ditto.....but luck has little to do with it. Like many/most others, I've needed a helping hand from time to time - and have extended it to others as occassion has warranted. The strange thing is that the harder I work, the luckier I get. It's all about attitude, NOT expectation. The important thing is NOT the helping hand, but what the recipient does with it that counts. I would hazard a guess that none of us here genuinely dislike other races simply for being a different colour, and when it comes to the Maori issues facing us, some of what upsets me is the us/them mentality shown by the radical types (from Tama Iti/Mike Smith/Ken Mair to Pita Sharples/Ranginui Walker). When some jerk in Wellington forces language etc on me, then I just feel the same resentment as the above named apparently do. But if I speak my mind, then I am a 'racist'. Excuse me??

[scumdog]

Ditto.....but luck has little to do with it. Like many/most others, I've needed a helping hand from time to time - and have extended it to others as occassion has warranted. The strange thing is that the harder I work, the luckier I get. It's all about attitude, NOT expectation. The important thing is NOT the helping hand, but what the recipient does with it that counts. I would hazard a guess that none of us here genuinely dislike other races simply for being a different colour, and when it comes to the Maori issues facing us, some of what upsets me is the us/them mentality shown by the radical types (from Tama Iti/Mike Smith/Ken Mair to Pita Sharples/Ranginui Walker). When some jerk in Wellington forces language etc on me, then I just feel the same resentment as the above named apparently do. But if I speak my mind, then I am a 'racist'. Excuse me??

Good call, I agree totally!!! (unofficially that is).

To each of you: get off your lazy fat arse if you're not already working!!!

Get a job and get a life eh? - oh, and a hair-cut might help!!!


Leeches we have enough of already!!

[Phurrball]

Leeches? We have an incredibly low unemployment rate? IMHO the whole 'vast numbers of bludgers sucking up vast ammounts of taxpayers money' thing is as much of a myth as a cohesive entity called 'Political Correctness'. (Disclaimer - there absolutely are some bludgers - always will be, but a small minority) That's just me - we wont go there now eh? Nor will we go down the assimilation path: I've done enough ranting.

MSTRS: The first three on your list are fairly 'out there', but Ranginui Walker and Pita Sharples are hardly scary radicals! The aim is to shock, and get media attention, thereby pushing appropriate buttons, provoking a backlash that makes pakeha look like a pack of racist bastards when portrayed through the eye of the media. The media and those who allow their buttons to be pushed play into the radical's hands every time...(BTW the 'other side' of the argument might see assimilationists and elements of NZ's right - eg the ACT party as scary radicals. Them scary radicals are everywhere on all sides of the political compass! Ya can't move for tripping over them!)

(Oh, and BTW it's Tame Iti, not Tama. Ironic I know But it ain't pronounced the same - vaguely amusing nonetheless)

Righto - off to get my sponging, tertiary student arse a step closer to being enrolled in some courses that make me think like a weak-wristed, namby-pamby PC exponent...Hehehe (Hardly likely in an LLB methinks)

I hereby close my correspondence in this here thread. It's been edifying, thank you all for your contributions

[Finn]

Leeches? We have an incredibly low unemployment rate?

That's because the stats don't count all the people on welfare.

[ManDownUnder]

I'd like to sit that test in Maori! I think we all should.

The State would need to pay for a translator but we could do it as part of the recognition of our cultural diversity!

[ManDownUnder]

Good call, I agree totally!!! (unofficially that is).

To each of you: get off your lazy fat arse if you're not already working!!!

LMAO... nice one guys - 100% agreement with you.

We have streets that need sweeping and weeds that need pulling. Lawns to be mown and grafitti to be cleaned off (or taggers to be caught).

I'll do any one of those jobs in a heartbeat if I need to earn some cash, and I'll be looking for a better job while I'm at it.

My God - don't get me going on the whole benefits conversation. My tax... my precious tax dollars going WHERE, TO WHOM??? WHY?????

Meanwhile my kids need an education and health system that'll actually look after them.

AAARRRGGHHHH!!!!!

[Speedracer]

in placing USA education above us - Yes NZ standards are the pits, but the yanks are no better - Many universities there now run remedial reading writing classes for college students and they have one year to shape up or they are shipped out. So they are as bad - BUT they are doing something about it . We however are not.

At canty uni you have to pass a writing test in engineering. If you fail it you have to take a course.



Also, I remember back in 3rd form I had a choice of learning French, Japanese or Maori. It was compulsory.
My brother took maori, all he learned was that paraparaumu means 'shit oven'.

[terbang]

Why not learn another language..? English can be a pain in the ass and quite frankly the Austronesian languages such as Maori are a lot of fun and in some cases more descriptive. For effective communication there needs to be a speaker and a listener one is no good without the other (Orang Selandia Baru bagus sekali) makes no sense at all to a lot here because the recieving bits not there. The best way to even start to understand another culture is to learn thier language.
You might be pleasantly surprised and as a bonus get that grey matter working..

[Troll]

Look at the hidden benefits of Maori language being an offical language

If you relocate to the Uk like I did you now have to take an english test to stay here permanently

New Zealand is now treated as a third world country

Maybe if polititions thought thru the natural conseqence of their actions more common sense would prevail

[Skyryder]

Yes let's cement the ignorance of the average urban Kiwi in concrete.

What's the point of teaching Maori? "It was never a written language anyway". Neither were the prototypical languages that resulted in English. A big chunk of our grammar is derived from non-literate peasants, speaking mostly in the vernacular. Maori is a written language NOW, thanks to the efforts of some very clever people over the last 170 years.

Things change. Get over it. Darwin said something along the lines that it isn't the fittest organism that survives, but the one most adaptable to change.

This attitude is typical of the hardheaded descendants of the European colonial wave that resists integrating the best of all cultures that live in NZ. "I don't understand it, and it never did anything for me, so it must be crap."

Within the next 150 years all people born in NZ will have a scrap of Maori DNA, and most likely some Asian DNA as well.

We may as well ban the teaching of history because it never did anything for me, economics too for the same reason. Oh yeah, that algebra and calculus is too hard as well, lets ditch that. Why is physical science SOOOO much more important to the Post-Modern, European/US derived mindset? Why is human culture viewed as a "lesser" science?

Without historians and anthropologists, theologists and philosophers, physicists, chemists, politicians, and soldiers would never have asked themselves the question, "Yes I can destroy this village/town/country/culture/continent, but SHOULD I?"

These little differences are what make us a vital, growing, learning, global culture.

It is important to learn ANY second language as a child because it establishes a mindset that enables you to learn more, to investigate and evaluate the syntax of a language medium, so you can exhange ideas with other people.

What a load of crap. Hey that's not a swear word or a word to have my posts removed. This thread is about sitting a drivers licence in Maori. It's not about cultural diversity or the prediction of NZ DNA. And just for the record I don't see Maori culture diversifying as we have been forced too. Just another silly lot of drivel from Second Hand Jim. And mods please don't edit J2's quote. If he wants to make a dick of himself...........let him.


Skyryder

[Back Fire]

I personally hope we are heading down a similar route to Wales. It is cultural arrogance to assume we can get by in this world with only English.

dont mean to be rude but I am Welsh, and IMO they should let the language die, it's an ancient language with no real purpose. It is so old that they keep having to make up b*shit words to compensate. Every other Welsh person I personally know share these thoughts....