Editing Aotearoa (section)

== Petitions ==
A petition initiated by Danny Tahau Jobe for a [[referendums in New Zealand|referendum]] on whether the official name of New Zealand should change to include ''Aotearoa'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/110309909/petition-for-referendum-to-include-aotearoa-in-official-name-of-new-zealand|title=Petition for referendum to include Aotearoa in official name of New Zealand|work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]|date=1 February 2019|access-date=5 May 2019|archive-date=5 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505042859/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/110309909/petition-for-referendum-to-include-aotearoa-in-official-name-of-new-zealand|url-status=live}}</ref> received 6,310 signatures.<ref name="petition">{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/petitions/document/PET_78333/petition-of-danny-tahau-jobe-referendum-to-include-aotearoa|title=Petition of Danny Tahau Jobe – Referendum to include Aotearoa in the official name of New Zealand|publisher=[[New Zealand Parliament]]|date=23 May 2018|access-date=20 April 2019|archive-date=19 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419220601/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/petitions/document/PET_78333/petition-of-danny-tahau-jobe-referendum-to-include-aotearoa|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2021, [[Te Pāti Māori]] started a petition to change the name of New Zealand to Aotearoa.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/14/new-zealand-maori-party-launches-petition-to-change-countrys-name-to-aotearoa|title=New Zealand Māori party launches petition to change country's name to Aotearoa|work=The Guardian|date=14 Sep 2021|access-date=15 Sep 2021|archive-date=15 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915013106/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/14/new-zealand-maori-party-launches-petition-to-change-countrys-name-to-aotearoa|url-status=live}}</ref> The petition reached 50,000 signatures in two days.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/451708/numbers-top-50-000-for-petition-on-name-change-to-aotearoa|title=Numbers top 50,000 for petition on name change to Aotearoa|date=17 September 2021|work=[[Radio New Zealand]]|access-date=17 September 2021|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917043626/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/451708/numbers-top-50-000-for-petition-on-name-change-to-aotearoa|url-status=live}}</ref>

By early June 2022, Te Pāti Māori's petition to rename New Zealand "Aotearoa" had received over 70,000 signatures. On 2 June, the petition was submitted before Parliament's committee. Party co-leader [[Rawiri Waititi]] argued that the proposed name change would recognise New Zealand's indigenous heritage and strengthen its identity as a Pacific country. Waititi objected to the idea of a referendum, claiming it would entrench the "[[tyranny of the majority]]". National Party leader [[Christopher Luxon]] stated that renaming New Zealand was a constitutional issue that would require a referendum. Māori Development Minister [[Willie Jackson (politician)|Willie Jackson]] expressed concerns that a potential name change would create branding issues for the country's tourism industry.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McConnell |first1=Glenn |title=Māori Party petition to officially call the country Aotearoa gets 70,000 supporters |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/128845298/mori-party-petition-to-officially-call-the-country-aotearoa-gets-70000-supporters |access-date=3 June 2022 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=2 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604110100/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/128845298/mori-party-petition-to-officially-call-the-country-aotearoa-gets-70000-supporters|archive-date=4 June 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>