Alf has never thought of the English language as a cultural treasure.
Rather, it is probably the most invaluable tool in his toolkit as the member for Eketahuna North – an instrument for communicating his profound thoughts to a political audience, in much the same way as a surgeon needs a scalpel, a builder needs a hammer and a road builder needs a bulldozer.
Or a Labour politician needs a leader.
Come to think of it, Alf is putting the English language to good use right now.