A leading language policy expert says Parliament’s decision to make English an official language has created unresolved legal and policy tensions with existing protections for te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, questioning whether the legislation was necessary in the first place. The legislation formally recognises English as an official language alongside te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. Dr Olsen-Reeder said the Crown has long recognised obligations to actively protect te reo Māori as a taonga. They have rejected suggestions that the change weakens protections for te reo Māori or New Zealand Sign Language. He says language policy carries constitutional significance and reflects the Crown’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Indigenous language revitalisation and equitable access to public life.