New Zealand has banned the use of bureaucratic jargon in documents prepared by all government bodies, The Guardian reports.

The “Plain Language Act” was passed by parliament in Wellington on Wednesday night in its third reading, requiring officials to use clear, understandable language when communicating with the public.

The government says passing the bill will create a more inclusive democracy, especially for non-native English speakers, people with disabilities and people with low levels of education.

“Much of the information we as members of the public receive from government agencies uses complicated language, jargon and unnecessary abbreviations. This is a common-sense change that will make it easier for New Zealanders to interact with the public sector,” said the bill’s sponsor, Nelson Labor MP Rachel Boyack, as quoted by RNZ.

Boyak said the project was inspired by a similar law passed by the US Congress in 2010, which requires the federal government in Washington to compile its documents in a “clear, concise and well-organized” form.

The New Zealand opposition is not convinced of the need for plain language

However, the measure has not convinced everyone, as the opposition has promised to repeal the provisions of the law if it wins next year’s elections.

Simeon Brown, a member of parliament for the centre-right National Party, said on Wednesday that the bill was a “solution to the problem” and would only create new layers of bureaucracy in the form of language checkers.

“Police in plain language! That’s what they will become. Plain-language police, who will have briefcases and white coats, scurry around to look over the shoulders of civil servants. Do they write words with less than one syllable?” he said.

However, the legislation was passed with the votes of Labour, the Green Party and the Party representing the indigenous Maori population.

New Zealand’s Maori Party has sparked more controversy recently, such as calling for the country to “divorce” Queen Elizabeth II in February this year.

He has also called several times to change the name of New Zealand to “Aotearoa”, the local name for the islands that make up the country.

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