[2][3] The Act specifies the requirement of government officials to use plain, easily understood language when communicating with the public.
While Boyack, fellow Labour MPs Glen Bennett, Steph Lewis, Ingrid Leary, Ginny Andersen, and Willow-Jean Prime and Green Party Jan Logie argued that it would improve government communications with the public, the opposition National MPs Chris Bishop, Simeon Brown, and ACT MP James McDowall argued that the legislation was unnecessary and would be a waster of public expenditure.
Labour MP Naisi Chen defended the Bill, arguing that it would benefit people for whom English was a second language.
Boyack defended the use of Te Reo in official documents and explained how the Bill would guide the Public Service's communications.
A motion to progress the Bill to its third reading passed by a margin of 77 (Labour, Greens, Te Pāti Māori and independent MP Gaurav Sharma) to 43 votes (National and ACT).