"Flowery, inaccessible language" belongs in poetry and literature, not government legislation
New Zealand is leaving unnecessary jargons and complex sentence structures behind as the Parliament passed the Plain Language Act in a final vote that took place on Thursday.
The Plain Language Act requires bureaucrats to use simple, comprehensible language in memos, documents, and websites to communicate with the public. Part of Section 8 of the Act also entails the appointment of “Plain Language Officers” in reporting agencies to ensure compliance.
The controversial bill was presented to parliament by MP Rachel Boyack in September 2021, defining “plain language” to be “(a) appropriate to the intended audience; and (b) clear, concise, and well-organised.” It is only applicable to documents written in English as per Section 4B.
MP Rachel Boyack called it a “common sense change” that will make the important records more accessible for people who speak English as a second language, people with disabilities and people with lower levels of education. Those in favour of the bill believe clear language is a matter of social justice and a necessary component to a healthy democracy.
“New Zealand is at its best when we can all understand and easily participate in our democracy,” Boyack said. “People have a right to understand what the government is asking them to do, and what their rights are, what they’re entitled to from government.”
Several MPs cited Shakespeare, Chaucer and Wordsworth to make a case for – and against – the bill. MP Sarah Pallett said “flowery, inaccessible language” is for poetry and literature, not government legislation. It’s become such a problem in New Zealand that a charitable entity has been hosting an annual Plain Language Awards to help raise the bar for clear communication.
“Be not afraid of plain language,” MP Glen Bennett said. “All of you beautifully educated people, with eloquent spoons in your mouths…You can still speak your big, wonderful, wonderful, huge words that I don’t have, and I’m okay with that, because this is around accessibility. This is around having language that everyone and anyone can understand.”
However, the opposition is vowing to repeal the law if elected next year, with National MP Chris Bishop calling it “the stupidest bill to come before parliament in this term.”
National MP Simeon Brown also said the placement of “Plain Language Officers” in reporting agencies would only add more layers of bureaucracy – not to mention the additional costs that will come with it.
“There's absolutely no evidence that there's actually a problem,” Brown said. “You hear the member on the other side stand up and say, ‘Well, you know, we had people say that they couldn't read documents and it's costing millions of dollars.’ Well, this bill will cost millions of dollars.”
“The Plain Language Bill is not even in plain language itself. How ironic is that?” Brown added. “There are 1,923 words to tell us absolutely nothing and to do absolutely nothing.”
Only time can tell if the legislation will be overturned as the opposition has promised. For now, the bill is now awaiting royal assent.
