Row in New Zealand parliament over use of Māori name Aotearoa

The speaker of New Zealand's parliament has told lawmakers to stop complaining about the use of the Māori name for the country, after the deputy prime minister strongly objected to hearing it in the house.

- Eva Corlett

In a ruling on Tuesday, speaker Gerry Brownlee said while "New Zealand" is the official name, the Māori name "Aotearoa" is used widely, including on currency and passports.

Lawmakers were free to speak in any of the three languages - English, Māori or New Zealand Sign Language - and that was "the end of the matter", Brownlee said.

"If other members do not like certain words, they don't have to use them. But it's not a matter of order and I don't expect to have further points of order raised about it."

The ruling comes after Winston Peters - who is deputy prime minister, foreign affairs minister and the leader of the populist New Zealand First party - questioned why the Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March had used "Aotearoa" during house proceedings last month.