New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party, shortened to National or the Nats, is a centre-right New Zealand political party that is the current ruling party. It is one of two major parties that dominate contemporary New Zealand politics, alongside its traditional rival, the Labour Party.
Adam Hamilton was the first leader of the National Party.
Sir Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister, 1957 and 1960–1972
Sir Robert Muldoon, Prime Minister, 1975–1984
Dame Jenny Shipley, Prime Minister, 1997–1999
Māori, or te reo Māori, commonly shortened to te reo, is an Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. A member of the Austronesian language family, it is related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and Tahitian. The Maori Language Act 1987 gave the language recognition as one of New Zealand's official languages. There are regional dialects.
Prior to contact with Europeans, Māori lacked a written language or script. Written Māori now uses the Latin script, which was adopted and the spelling standardised by Northern Māori in collaboration with English Protestant clergy in the 19th century.
Bilingual sign at railway station in Auckland, New Zealand
"First Lessons in the Maori Language", 1862, by W. L. Williams, third Bishop of Waiapu
He Taonga Te Reo – a celebration of Maori Language poster, Wellington Public Library (1995)
Bastion Point land rights activists with Māori-language signs