Te Reo Pākehā and housing intensification w/ the ACT Party’s Simon Court: 23rd February, 2026

The government has been in discussions this past week over a bill adding English to the list of New Zealand’s official languages. Currently, the list comprises only te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. The bill has been criticised as “pointless” and a “waste of time” by opposition MPs, while its main supporter NZ First leader Winston Peters suggests it is “common sense”. 

Also this past week has seen Housing Minister Chris Bishop announcing changes to housing plans PC120. While the plans had previously proposed a minimum housing capacity of 2 million for Tāmaki Makaurau, the quota has been lowered to 1.6 million. The change follows criticisms of the plan from some who say intensification could harm the character of their suburbs, especially wealthier areas around central Auckland. 

For our weekly catchup with ACT’s Simon Court News and Editorial Director asked about each of these issues, beginning with English as an official language.