Displaying 121 - 144 of 420 results.

New measures to keep dangerous criminals locked up for longer and better protect victims will soon come into force.

This follows the passing of the Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Bill which passed with a high level of cross-party support. The Bill enables the High Court to make a public protection order (PPO) to detain high-risk individuals until they no longer pose a serious and imminent threat to public safety.

  • Amy Adams
  • Justice

Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman welcomes the passing of the Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill in Parliament today.

“Match-fixing is a growing problem internationally and it is the number one threat to the integrity, value and growth of sport,” says Dr Coleman.

“In New Zealand we are not immune to this growing threat. The passing of this Bill is an important step in protecting the integrity of our sport. 

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Sport and Recreation

Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga welcomes a health report which shows more smokers have quit and fewer people have started smoking.

The New Zealand Health Survey: 2012/2013 Tobacco Use report showed smoking had declined from 1996/97 when 25% of the adult population were smokers to 18% by 2012/13.

The largest decrease was for 15-19 year olds. For this age group, smoking decreased by 36% between 2006/07 and 2012/13.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Health

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today officially opened a “boot camp” for whio at the Tongariro National Trout Centre near Turangi.

The release of the first ducklings into the new hardening facility, or “boot camp”, marks a major step forward in the battle to save the endangered whio, or blue duck. The facility allows the birds to gain fitness and readiness before being released on their own into the wild.

  • Maggie Barry
  • Conservation

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says the latest report on mental health services in New Zealand shows improvements in access to care.

“The Office of the Director of Mental Health’s annual report shows a decline in waiting times for people accessing mental health care,” says Dr Coleman.

“This improvement in waiting times was in a year when a record number of people were able to receive care, and it is a tribute to the dedicated people who work in this often challenging part of the health system.”

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Health

Revenue Minister Todd McClay says Inland Revenue winning best Government website for the 8th time in the NetGuide Awards this week is a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to make tax simple.

“The Inland Revenue website has more than 20 million visits a year and this award was determined by web users. That tells you that Inland Revenue’s relentless focus on making tax simpler is heading in the right direction,” says Mr McClay.

  • Todd McClay
  • Revenue

Six groups have been invited to submit full proposals to operate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Graduate Schools in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

The six, comprised of tertiary education providers and business partners, were shortlisted following stage one of a two-stage tender process. They are:

  • Steven Joyce
  • Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Education Minister Hekia Parata says more kids are getting the best start to school, with early childhood education participation at its highest ever level.

Ms Parata says latest figures show 96 percent of children starting school in September this year had already participated in some form of quality ECE.

“That’s up from 94.7 percent in early 2012 when the Government set its Better Public Service targets.

  • Hekia Parata
  • Education

Transport Minister Simon Bridges was today joined by Hon Nathan Guy, MP for Ōtaki, and project staff to mark the one year anniversary of construction starting on the MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway on the Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington.

The expressway will be 4-lanes and 18 kilometres in length, and will include an end-to-end cycleway, walkway and bridleway.  It will be an important piece of infrastructure that will significantly improve the connection between the Capital and the Kapiti Coast.

  • Simon Bridges
  • Transport

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss today announced a review of parts of New Zealand’s driver licensing system.

“A lot has changed since the current driver licensing system was introduced in 1999.  The review will look at modernising the system by making it more customer-focused and reducing compliance costs,” Mr Foss says.

“It will consider whether the heavy vehicle driver licensing process could be simplified by reducing the number of heavy vehicle classes and related endorsements.”

  • Craig Foss
  • Transport

A new survey has revealed the relevance of science and technology to Kiwis’ lives, with 90 per cent of respondents agreeing on the importance of studying those subjects at school.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata today released the Public Attitudes to Science and Technology survey, which was conducted as part of the Science in Society project – an education-science sector collaboration to lift engagement and achievement in science and technology.

  • Hekia Parata
  • Steven Joyce
  • Science and Innovation
  • Education

Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges says the Government’s planned investment of $8 million to acquire new aeromagnetic and petroleum data will greatly contribute to our understanding of geological prospectivity in New Zealand.

“Aeromagnetic surveys will be the main focus of this work, to provide more comprehensive data on our mineral resource,” says Mr Bridges. 

Following surveys of Northland and the West Coast region in recent years, the focus will shift to the Nelson/Marlborough region, Southland and parts of Otago. 

  • Simon Bridges
  • Energy and Resources

State Services Minister Paula Bennett has welcomed today’s half-yearly capping report, showing the number of administrative roles in the core public service remain below the cap and are forecast to stay at that level.

“The cap on core administrative positions, introduced by the incoming National Government in 2008, has successfully reduced back office roles and freed up resources, meaning improved public services for New Zealanders,” says Mrs Bennett.

  • Paula Bennett
  • State Services

The Minister for Māori Development is pleased to announce the establishment of a Māori Language Advisory Group to provide independent and expert advice on the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill.

“I’m committed to ensuring we get this language legislation right,” says Minister Flavell.

“I wholeheartedly support the intention of the legislation which is to ensure iwi and Māori lead the revival of te reo Māori but I see the value in working through the practical implications of the bill and making sure it’s as workable as it can be.”

  • Te Ururoa Flavell
  • Maori Development

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew is driving a call for recognition of those 429,000 volunteers who give up their time every week for their community.

“Tomorrow is International Volunteers Day and I want to encourage everyone to stand back and take notice of the time and energy poured into the community by our voluntary sector,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“We are a small country, and yet the average person in New Zealand donates far more of their time volunteering each day than any other country in the OECD.

  • Jo Goodhew
  • Community and Voluntary Sector

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has congratulated members of the consortium that developed the Blueprint for central Christchurch on receiving a prestigious international honour.

The consortium’s core team of Warren and Mahoney, Boffa Miskell, Woods Bagot, RCP, Populous and Sheppard & Rout Architects, has been named a joint winner of the World Architecture News (WAN) Urban Design Award, part of the world’s largest architectural awards programme.

  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Canterbury Earthquake Recovery

Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the vote from secondary school principals on two key elements of the Investing in Educational Success initiative.

Ms Parata says the new leadership role across communities of schools and the principal recruitment allowance are important parts of the $359 million plan to lift educational achievement.

“The principals’ vote follows the strong support from secondary teachers for the new teaching roles we will also have when communities of schools begin operating from the first term of next year.

  • Hekia Parata
  • Education

New Zealand remains one of the top countries in the world for low levels of perceived corruption, says Justice Minister Amy Adams.

Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index released today ranked New Zealand second out of 175 countries. The index scores and ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be on a scale of zero to 100.

New Zealand retained last year’s score of 91, taking out second place to Denmark which moved up one point to 92.

  • Amy Adams
  • Justice

Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and Minister for Disability Issues Nicky Wagner today congratulated the winners of the Attitude Awards, being held on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Mr Lotu-Iiga will present the Attitude ACC Supreme Award at the ceremony in Auckland tonight.

The Attitude Awards recognise the huge number of New Zealanders who live with disabilities, including those with intellectual, physical and mental health disabilities.

  • Nicky Wagner
  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Health
  • Disability Issues

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today welcomed the announcement of an immediate start to the Canterbury Engineering the Future (CETF) construction project as good news for the University of Canterbury, Christchurch and New Zealand.

The Government is supporting the project as part of its contribution of up to $260 million to fund the redevelopment of the engineering facilities and development of new science buildings at the University. The new state-of-the-art facilities will meet the learning needs of students into the future.

  • Steven Joyce
  • Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has welcomed Pipfruit New Zealand onboard as the third industry to join the Government’s biosecurity partnership.

The Deed of the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) for Biosecurity Readiness and Response was signed by Pipfruit New Zealand today.

“This means that apple and pear growers and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) can work closely together and make joint decisions on readiness and response to manage mutual high priority biosecurity pests,” says Mr Guy.

  • Nathan Guy
  • Primary Industries

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley today congratulated the 19 young recipients of the 2014 William Wallace awards.

An annual award for children in care, each scholarship recipient will receive between $1,500 and $3,000 towards tertiary, vocational, or leadership training.

“These young people had a harder start to life than most. The William Wallace awards recognise how far they and their foster families have come and the strength of character they've shown taking charge of their futures.

  • Anne Tolley
  • Social Development

Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman says it is important to recognise the role of sports volunteers as part of celebrating International Volunteer Day on Friday.

“Every year 750,000 Kiwis give 50 million hours of their time volunteering in sport,” says Dr Coleman.

“International Volunteer Day is a great opportunity to recognise the valuable and wide-reaching work that our volunteers in the sport sector do.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Sport and Recreation

Youth Minister Nikki Kaye today launched the ‘Youth Enterprise Fund’, aimed at helping today’s young people become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs.

“The fund is part of the Government’s 2014 Budget announcement of $2.5 million of new funding for youth enterprise initiatives.

“This is about growing the next generation of confident citizens, who can contribute to their communities and make their mark in ways that deliver cultural, economic and environmental benefits.”

  • Nikki Kaye
  • Youth