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Minister of Whanau Ora Tariana Turia said today that a decision on the commissioning agencies for Whanau Ora will be announced in the new year.

Earlier this year the Minister announced the new model for the future delivery of Whanau Ora which will see the establishment of three Non-Government Organisation (NGOs) commissioning agencies, one based in the North Island, one in the South Island and a Pacific focused agency.

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia announced today that the Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Products and Packaging) Amendment Bill has been lodged with the Clerk of the House, ready for a first reading soon after Parliament resumes in the new year.

“I look forward to taking the legislation through its Parliamentary stages in 2014.  That will include a select committee phase and the opportunity for people to make submissions on the bill,” says Minister Turia.

Associate Minister of Housing Tariana Turia today announced the opening of a new infrastructure grant fund for developing Maori land as well as changes to an existing proposal development programme to better support Maori housing initiatives.

“Both programmes are designed to enable the development of social and affordable housing projects on Maori land and to prepare Maori organisations to play a bigger role in providing social and affordable housing for their people,” says Minister Turia.

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia is extremely pleased at the 2013 Census results that show that the number of smokers in New Zealand has dropped by nearly a quarter since the 2006 Census. Statistics New Zealand released the results today which also show that smoking prevalence amongst Maori has dropped from 42.2% in 2006 to 32.7% in 2013.

The total number of adults smokers in New Zealand numbers 463,000 representing a drop of 23% from 598,000 at Census 2006. There are now 702,000 people who say they have given up smoking.

The Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia says International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an important day for recognising the rights of disabled people and the need to change attitudes and behaviours towards those who live with disability.

Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all is the theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2013.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson and Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia today announced terms of reference and timeframes have been set for a review into building access for disabled people.

The review will look at how the Building Act and Building Code’s provisions relating to access for people with disabilities are being implemented when buildings are first constructed or altered.

The Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia has reiterated her call for all public transport companies to review their policies and provide staff training immediately following further reports of incidents of discriminatory treatment of disabled people and those with pushchairs.

“I was very alarmed at news reports that disabled passengers and those with children and pushchairs are experiencing discrimination while trying to board buses in the Hutt Valley and Wellington,” says Minister Turia.

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia has congratulated the five recipients of the 2013 John McLeod Scholarships and Te Apa Mareikura Awards held at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum in Wellington last night.

“These awards recognise the work and absolute commitment by our emerging talent to reduce the disparities that still exist in our community between Maori and non-Maori.  While the recipients have achieved academic success and medical qualifications, they are also grounded in the issues that affect whanau, hapu and iwi,” says Minister Turia.

A Ministry of Health report focusing on health literacy and its relationship to the prevalence of skin infections particularly for Maori children under the age of 15 has identified a number of barriers preventing the effective treatment and management of skin infections. New Zealand has one of the highest rates for childhood skin infections in the western world, with Maori children more than one and a half times more likely than non-Maori to be hospitalised due to skin infections.

A research report released today by the Ministry of Health shows that Maori women experience inequalities in access to maternity care and report lower levels of satisfaction with maternity services than most other women from other ethnic groups. The report Hapu Ora:Well-being in the Early Stages of Life aims to identify research priorities for the life course of Maori with a specific focus on wellbeing at the early stage of life.

More Maori will now have the opportunity to build on ancestral land after the government agreed to changes to the Kainga Whenua Loan and Kainga Whenua Infrastructure Grants this week.

Associate Minister for Housing Tariana Turia says the changes allow a wider group of Maori to access loans and is another important step in advancing housing aspirations for whanau, hapu and Maori land trusts.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson and Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia today announced a review has begun into building access for disabled people.

The review will look into how New Zealand Standard 4121, which outlines how people with disabilities can access buildings, aligns with the Building Code and how the Code more generally represents the needs of disabled people.

The Associate Minister of Social Development, Tariana Turia, launched the Nga Vaka o Kaiga Tapu: Pasefika Proud Family Violence Research Plan at an event in Auckland this week.     

 “The Pasefika Proud Family Violence Research Plan is unique, as it is the first research agenda of its kind to carry cultural significance across the Pacific for the Pasefika peoples of Niue, Cook Islands, Fiji, Tuvalu, Samoa, Tokelau and Tonga living in Aotearoa New Zealand today,” said Minister Turia. 

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia announced the opening of eight sore throat drop-in clinics in Auckland this week as part of the Government’s $45 million campaign to reduce rates of rheumatic fever.

“These drop-in clinics offer easy, free sore throats checks for children who don’t attend schools with throat swabbing services or when it’s out of school term,” says Mrs Turia.

Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia announced the introduction of a brand new service today to help make government services more accessible to Deaf people.

Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is being progressively rolled out around the country in key government services. It connects a Deaf person to a New Zealand Sign Language interpreter based in an Auckland call centre via an internet video connection and to a face-to-face meeting with a government service worker.

The Associate Minister for Social Development, Tariana Turia today announced the establishment of an Expert Advisory Group on Family Violence in New Zealand.

“The Expert Advisory Group on Family Violence is being formed to provide independent strategic advice to assist Government to determine key priority actions to address family violence in New Zealand,” says Minister Turia.

Requests for Proposals are being sought for the expansion of the Maori and Pasifika Trades Training Initiative from the current 600 places to 3000 places.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Tariana Turia are leading the Maori and Pasifika Trades Training Initiative, which supports 18 to 34-year-olds to gain trades qualifications and apprenticeships, with the goal of a level four trade qualification and employment.

The Pasefika Proud Campaign is seeking to build violence free families by drawing on the strengths of Pasefika peoples and their culture.

At the campaign launch today, Associate Minister of Social Development Tariana Turia said the Pasefika Proud campaign is about changing behaviours – about prevention rather than dealing with violence in a crisis. The campaign will run for a minimum of two years, driven by the Pacific Media Network and funded by the Ministry of Social Development.

The Pasefika Proud Campaign is seeking to build violence free families by drawing on the strengths of Pasefika peoples and their culture.

At the campaign launch today, Associate Minister of Social Development Tariana Turia said the Pasefika Proud campaign is about changing behaviours – about prevention rather than dealing with violence in a crisis. The campaign will run for a minimum of two years, driven by the Pacific Media Network and funded by the Ministry of Social Development.

Minister for Whanau Ora Tariana Turia has announced the Request for Proposal (RFP) Process is now underway for Whanau Ora Commissioning Agencies for the North Island, South Island and Pacific families.

Te Puni Kokiri is responsible for leading the non-governmental organisation (NGO) procurement process with support from the Ministries of Pacific Island Affairs; Business, Innovation and Employment and Treasury.

The Government has committed funding for a further 19 community projects aimed at reducing bullying amongst young people under a second round of the Te Punanga Haumaru fund, announced Associate Social Development Minister Tariana Turia today.

The Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia announced today that Cabinet has approved a three-year demonstration of Enabling Good Lives in Christchurch, with work starting immediately.   

Christchurch school leavers with disabilities will be the first to benefit from Enabling Good Lives – a new way of supporting disabled people that offers people greater choice and control over the supports they receive and the lives they lead. 

The Minister for Whanau Ora Tariana Turia is delighted to announce the model for the future delivery of Whanau Ora in Wellington today. The Minister met with the Whanau Ora Governance Group, Regional Leadership Groups and Provider Collectives at the Wharewaka on the Wellington waterfront.

“The Government has now considered recommendations on the best model to ensure the delivery of Whanau Ora which will see significant changes to the future scope and direction of Whanau Ora,” says Mrs Turia.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Housing Minister Tariana Turia today welcomed the blessing and naming ceremony for a family-style social housing unit for kaumatua in Flaxmere.

“The Kaumatua Whare has been designed to provide affordable rental accommodation for kaumatua on low incomes in response to a shortage of appropriate housing for kaumatua in Flaxmere,” Mrs Turia says.