Cold Mornings & Blue Sky
Te Reo, coffee chats, National gets it right again, and good bye Newshub.
Late yesterday morning I was sitting on my deck enjoying another beautiful day in Tamaki Makaurau. Stunning and clear but still a bit chilly. A treat to have such a day in July, and through June it seemed that for once Auckland had some decent weather as things went more than a bit pear shaped elsewhere around the motu.
“Motu”, don’t you just love the sound of that word? So much more meaningful, and richer, than “land” or “island”.
It’s one of those Te Reo words that’s entered common usage in Aotearoa over recent years. Not like “Aotearoa”, we’ve been saying that since ages ago, another thing we say. Aotearoa sounds so much better than New Zealand, which is a silly name for an island nation in the south pacific, if you ask me.
When I’m writing I choose which name to use based on context. If I’m talking about us, the team of one million (formerly known as five), those who think he tangata should be a guiding principle and Te Reo should be treasured and encouraged then I’ll say Aotearoa. But if I’m talking about people like Seymour, Luxon, Willis, or Uffindell - well they’re definitely from New Zealand.
“Motu”, on the other hand, has only recently come into common usage. Well that’s my perception anyway, I don’t have any statistics to back it up.
From what I recall we have one man to mostly thank for that, along with a whole lot else, Sir Ashley Bloomfield. He always used to say it in the afternoon health updates, and I reckon it stuck. Well that’s my story anyway.
Anyway, so I was sitting out in the sun as I like to do, weather willing, after I’ve sent out the morning newsletter and before thinking about the next one. People who follow my facebook page will have seen the updates with photos of brunch, or a zero percent beer, in the sun.
So there I was reading the responses to my newsletter on the UK election - only one more sleep to go - when someone popped their head over the fence, causing my dogs to lose their minds. In truth they don’t have a lot of grey matter to spare.
Someone from Aotearoa, not New Zealand, if you see what I mean. Although in fact she was born in South Africa. Your fellow reader, my nearly neighbour, and previously the Deputy Mayor of Auckland. Penny was out walking her dog, named after the good Dr Bloomfield, and told me how much she’d enjoyed the morning’s newsletter.
I always appreciate your kind feedback, but it usually arrives via email or social media, not fence. I suggested she come around the front and have a coffee.
So we had a good old chat about the state of our country, the upcoming US election, environmental issues, and lots of things. Penny had generous feedback and some wise words to ponder. She mentioned having enjoyed a recent newsletter where I was a bit more positive about the current government. The one on Nicola Willis taking the piss out of Brian Tamaki.
After she’d gone I started scanning the headlines for something to write about. Well, blow me down, but it had happened again. The government had done something right. Another thing. That’s three things now my by count, including those I mentioned in that recent newsletter in praise of National.
The Government will pass a bill forcing internet giants including Google and Meta help fund the media, reversing the stance taken by the National Party when in Opposition...
Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith described the media industry as a sector that was under enormous pressure.
It was good for the Minister to realise that the media sector is under pressure. Although unfortunately it’s come a bit late to save Newshub, which finishes this Friday, or the jobs lost at TVNZ. Still always worth closing a gate after the horse has bolted. You know, in case there’s another horse in the paddock. Seems so obvious.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Nick's Kōrero to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.