This blog shares some of our thoughts about plain language, and the latest discussions about plain English and clear design in New Zealand, and around the world.

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09 February 2011

Waffle equals waste

Bill English doesn't seem too impressed with government writing. In a media conference today, his message was pretty clear: 'there's too much waffle in government departments and it has to stop'.

We know that hundreds of government employees do care about clear, purposeful writing (many of them vie for a place in the annual WriteMark Plain English Awards), but I don't think many members of the public will disagree with Mr English.

That 'waffle' --- evidence of woolly thinking, complex processes, lack of purpose, and poor language skills --- chews up taxpayer dollars. Waffle equals waste. And at a time when the economic news is still somewhat sobering, we expect better.

Read the TV3 article

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