The government is coming for...plain language??
It seems far too many of us are understanding the process
In disability related politics this past week or so, the New Zealand Government has introduced the Plain Language Act Repeal Bill, which aims to remove plain language requirements for government agencies.
The Plain Language Act was designed to protect the rights of disabled people, and when under Select Committee back in 2022, it was unanimously supported in submissions by disability organisations.
By repealing this Act, the National Party are intentionally disadvantaging disabled people, many of whom depend on government communications being easy to read. Additionally, 1 in 8 NZ adults have low literacy or about 12% (approx. 650,000) people.
There is no real need to repeal the Plain Language Act; it doesn’t cost the government any extra money, the work gets folded into existing staffing levels, and it ensures government processes, consultations, and legislations are easily able to read and understood by the entire populace.
Therein lies the problem of course - it is much, much harder to pull the wool over people’s eyes and to spin the truth to fit a narrative, when the reports and documents can be read and understood by all. The cynic in me suspects this is a way to halt the burgeoning political activism of the proletariat. A mean-spirited clapback at the united voice of disabled people and families.
Back to the Plain Language Act! This Act requires government agencies to ensure the language in documents they write for the public is:
appropriate to the intended audience
clear, concise, and well organised.
This is a good thing! It applies to documents such as:
benefit application forms
immigration forms
tax information
justice information
health information
These are all good things. I would have thought that having these forms in plain language would speed up bureaucracy and “ruthlessly eliminate red tape” (things this government is rather obsessed with) as people wouldn’t need multiple attempts and translators to fill out the forms correctly. Again, perhaps therein lies the problem - people are accessing the supports and information they are entitled to.
Callum McMenamin from Open Access has written an EXCELLENT blogpost, including excerpts from the 2022 submissions by Disabled People Organisations and quotes from MPs in the house extolling the values of this mean-spirited law:
The first reading of the Plain Language Act Repeal Bill was held on 1 April 2025 … [it] was truly horrifying to witness. The sheer lack of care and consideration for disabled people’s rights from National, ACT, and NZ First is deeply upsetting and offensive.
He also makes this very excellent point:
The Public Service Commission’s 2023 Annual Report confirms: “All agencies have appointed a plain language officer to oversee their plain language work. In all cases this is the appointment of an existing staff member who has had plain language responsibilities added to their role.”
In other words: no new roles, no additional hires, and no increase in headcount.
The claims of “government bloat” are blatant misinformation. These MPs are either misinformed — or are hoping the public won’t fact-check them.
The personal is political, and now it seems the plain language is political too.
Make a submission!
So, what can we do? We can make a submission! Submissions can be as long or as short as you like. Callum has some great suggestions in his blog if you’re looking for inspiration.
You have until 11:59pm on Wednesday, 14 May 2025 to write a submission to Parliament, opposing this repeal bill.
For instructions on making a submission, head to the submission instructions section.
Otherwise, to make your submission, go here: Plain Language Act Repeal Bill — NZ Parliament.
Thank you for highlighting this. Repealing the Plain Language Act will have negative consequences for the dementia community. It appears to be yet another example of ideology—this time the pursuit of ‘small government’—being prioritised over the real needs of many in our communities.
While public servants and their agencies should already be using plain and accessible language, the Plain Language Act 2022 provided more than just the appointment of Plain Language Officers. It supported a broader vision of an accessible Aotearoa New Zealand.
When reading the Hansard record of the first reading of the repeal bill, I was astounded by the lack of recognition from government MPs of the very real need that the original legislation was designed to address.
I've made a short submission for Carers NZ. Thanks Rebekah!