The New Zealand government has updated its official branding to prioritize English over te reo Māori, following a directive from the new Public Service Minister, Paul Goldsmith.
The Public Service Commission has distributed the new logo to all departments and ministries, with instructions to update official websites by the end of June. The redesigned branding, which is required on all agency homepages, places “New Zealand Government” in bold above “Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa,” reversing the previous order of the two languages.
“This was a coalition commitment that hadn’t yet been achieved. Now we’re doing it,” Goldsmith said in a statement to RNZ.
A spokesperson for the commission confirmed that the change reflects a “ministerial decision” and clarified that agencies will continue to utilize both languages. To minimize costs, the rollout is being delivered “digital first,” meaning physical materials will be updated over time. The commission has already updated its own logo.
The “English-first” directive stems from 2023 negotiations between NZ First and National. The resulting coalition agreement mandates that all public service departments—with the exception of those specifically related to Māori—must have their primary name in English and communicate primarily in English.
The implementation follows a transition in leadership; Paul Goldsmith assumed responsibility for the public service in early April, succeeding Judith Collins prior to her retirement. Before the handover, Collins had indicated that the logo design was not a primary focus, stating she was concentrated on the fuel crisis rather than “style guides.” However, NZ First leader Winston Peters had previously noted that the public service would be “called to account highly shortly.”
The ACT Party also pressed for the change. In March, MP Todd Stephenson wrote to Collins expressing “growing concern” that the English-first policy was not being “visibly implemented” across the public service. While the policy was not one of ACT’s own coalition commitments, Stephenson stated he pursued the matter because it is supported by many of the party’s supporters and because “we expect coalition agreements to be held.”
Stephenson highlighted the efficiency of digital updates, citing Brooke van Velden at the Department of Internal Affairs, who conducted a digital-first rebrand for $741. He noted that ACT does not support “costly rebrands involving consultants or flash new signage.”
The move has faced criticism from the Green Party. Public service spokesperson Francisco Hernandez described the directive as a “pointless distraction” from an “out of touch” government.
“Aotearoa has moved on to embrace Te Tiriti, but this government is intent on clinging on to the past. That they are obsessing over this instead of tackling the fossil fuel cost of living crisis shows what their focus is,” Hernandez told RNZ.
Significance and Potential Next Steps
This branding shift represents a tangible application of the coalition’s agreement to prioritize English in government communications. The decision to prioritize digital updates suggests a strategy to fulfill political promises while avoiding the high costs associated with physical rebranding.
Looking ahead, the government may continue to phase out physical materials as they expire to keep costs low. The insistence by coalition partners like ACT that agreements be “held” suggests that other pending coalition commitments could be similarly prioritized for implementation in the coming months.
