Green MP's claim English 'a bastard language' is broadly correct, but her speech had errors

PremiumOpinionUpdatedOpinion byPaul MoonNZ Herald·4 Aug, 2026 12:29 AM5 mins to readPaul Moon is Professor of History at the Faculty of Māori Development at the Auckland University of Technology, where he has taught since 1993. He has worked on several Waitangi Tribunal claims.Green MP for Wellington Central Tamatha Paul. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Green Party MP Tamatha Paul has recently attracted attention – and some criticism – for her impassioned speech in Parliament, in which she delivered a trifecta of accusations: that English is a “bastardisation” of other languages; that the Welsh example of state-backed bilingualism was admirable; and that te reo