Displaying 1 - 24 of 103 results.

Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has congratulated the Pacific recipients of appointments and awards in the New Year 2016 Honours.

Among those who have been recognised are former All Blacks Keven Mealamu and Ma’a Nonu, both made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

“These men are positive role models for young Pacific people and for our wider community,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Pacific Peoples

More than 1000 people have so far made their voices heard in the development of a new national Health of Older People Strategy, says Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

More than 20 workshops and meetings have been held by the Ministry of Health around the country this year to gather information on what works well for older people and what needs improvement before the strategy is drafted.

“We want to make sure older people live well, stay well and have a dignified end of life when that time comes,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Health

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Minister for Pacific Peoples Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga have announced $763,000 funding for the Pasifika Education Centre in South Auckland.

“The Pasifika Education Centre (PEC) did not qualify for the full amount of the contestable Adult and Community Education (ACE) funding which it applied for, but I consider the work the centre does around Pacific languages and cultural education boosts Pasifika skills and is in the national interest to be funded,” Mr Joyce says.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Steven Joyce
  • Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment
  • Pacific Peoples

A total of $315,820 in funding has been approved for 48 applicants from not-for-profit organisations working with refugees and migrants, Ethnic Communities Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga announced today.

The money comes from the Office of Ethnic Communities’ Settling In fund, which is available for projects or initiatives that seek to support successful settlement for refugee and migrant communities in New Zealand. 

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Ethnic Communities

The government remains committed to introducing legislation that will enable co-operation across councils, Local Government Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says.

“When councils need to work together to deliver better local services for their ratepayers, it should be easier for them to do so. At present it is difficult for functions and responsibilities to either be shared or transferred across local and regional councils,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Local Government

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says he supports Corrections’ decision not to renew Serco’s contract to manage Mount Eden Corrections Facility.

“The decision is one for the chief executive of Corrections to make. However, I fully support the decision he has made. The contract allowed for non-renewal after six years and I have been briefed on the reasons behind this decision,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Ministers will receive advice from Corrections on options for the future management of MECF early next year.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga

The achievements of some of the country’s most talented young Pacific people have been recognised at the Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Awards at Parliament this afternoon.

“The Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Awards celebrate high-achieving young Pacific New Zealanders who have the potential to contribute significantly to the future of our nation,” says Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Pacific Peoples

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga hosted a breakfast today for more than 80 employers in a bid to help find jobs for offenders and reduce reoffending.

The employer engagement breakfast in Auckland, which was also attended by Prime Minister John Key, gave some of New Zealand’s biggest employers the chance to hear about the work Corrections is doing to provide offenders with job skills.

Employers who are already onboard with the programme also shared their experiences of hiring offenders.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

New scholarships aimed at getting more Pacific people into the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics have been announced by Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

The Toloa Scholarships aim to encourage Pacific people to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at tertiary level and ultimately increase the number of Pacific people in those fields.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Pacific Peoples

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today signed an agreement which will see offenders engaged in conservation work and learning new skills at the same time.

Under the Good to Grow partnership between Corrections and the Department of Conservation (DOC), offenders on community sentences will help look after DOC sites, upgrade and maintain tracks and help to win the War on Weeds across the country.

  • Maggie Barry
  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections
  • Conservation

Corrections is piloting a new programme aimed at stopping repeat drink-drive offending, says Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

Corrections has obtained Justice Sector funding for the pilot programme in which it will fund alcohol interlock devices which immobilise a vehicle if alcohol is detected on the breath of the driver.

“This funding will help offenders keep to their sentences. It means offenders will not be able to drive their vehicle unless they can successfully pass a breath alcohol test,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today officially opened the new Community Corrections site in Palmerston North.

The new building is part of a $70 million nationwide renewal programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure and better equipped to support offenders to turn their lives around.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

Associate Health Minister Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has today announced the publication of new eating and activity guidelines by the Ministry of Health.

Eating and Activity Guidelines for New Zealand Adults combines the ministry’s updated nutrition and physical activity advice into one document for the first time.

Although primarily focused on adults, the advice complements the government’s recently announced package of initiatives aimed at reducing childhood obesity in New Zealand, Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Health

Plant a seed today, for the future generation. That is the theme for Tokelau Language Week which begins today.

Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says the theme, which translated in Tokelauan is Totō hau tōkiga nei, aua na tupulaga e fāi mai, encourages Pacific communities in New Zealand to lay a strong cultural path for their children to follow.

Tokelau Language Week is the last of seven Pacific language weeks being celebrated this year.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Pacific Peoples

A record high number of offenders serving community sentences have enrolled in Corrections-funded work and living skills interventions.

In the last financial year the number of offenders throughout the country enrolled in work and living skills interventions (WLS) interventions increased to 5152.

In the 2014 financial year the number was about 600.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has today opened a new wing at Rimutaka Prison’s High Dependency Unit to care for more ageing prisoners.

The new wing has 10 beds, taking the total number of beds at the unit to 30. 

A walkway with a ramp for wheelchair and walker access links the new wing to the original unit.

The unit was established in 2012 to meet the needs of prisoners with ongoing and complex health or disability needs.  It is the only one of its kind in New Zealand.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

The first group of graduates from a government initiative to nurture future ethnic leaders will gather at Parliament tomorrow.

Ethnic Communities Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says the event recognises high-potential young ethnic leaders.

"We set up the Young Leaders Programme to cultivate skills, talent and connections and encourage young ethnic leaders to pursue careers in the state sector. This is a further step in creating greater ethnic diversity in leadership positions in government."

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Ethnic Communities

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has launched new programmes to improve the literacy and numeracy of prisoners.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Methodist Mission Southern have been contracted by Corrections to deliver the intensive literacy and numeracy programmes in all Corrections-run prisons, giving priority to learners with the highest educational needs.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

Whanganui Prison’s refurbished west wing has been officially opened today as part of a more than $19 million upgrade of prisoner accommodation at the site, says Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

The prison’s east and west wings, with a total of 141 beds, have been earthquake-strengthened and enhancements made to meet security classification requirements, and improve staff bases and prisoner areas.  

The upgrades were done one wing at a time, starting with the east wing in April last year.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

Minister for Ethnic Communities Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says he is looking forward to Diwali, the ancient Hindu festival celebrated in New Zealand each year.

Diwali festivities begin this weekend in Auckland, with events including live music, dance, food and art. Events around the country will be held over the next three weeks.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Ethnic Communities

Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga is calling on all New Zealanders to take part in Niue Language Week this week.

 “Niue Language Week is a chance for New Zealanders to celebrate Niuean culture and help ensure the language survives and is used”, Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

 The theme of this year’s Niue Language Week, which begins today, is “Tau tagata Niue, tau magafaoa Niue, fakaaoga e vagahau Niue – Niue people, Niue families, use vagahau Niue”.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Pacific Peoples

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today officially opened the new Rotorua Community Corrections site.

The $1.37 million rebuild of the site is part of a five-year nationwide renewal programme to make Community Corrections sites more secure and better equipped to support offenders to turn their lives around.

“If we are to reach our goal of reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017, Corrections needs to create the best possible environment for offenders to make the changes in their lives that will allow them to live crime-free,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

Fewer prisoners are testing positive for drugs and more of them are taking part in drug and alcohol treatment programmes, says Corrections Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga.

During the 2014/15 year there were about 4500 general random drug tests on prisoners. The rate of positive results was 3.7 per cent. In comparison, the rate of positive results in 2008/09 was 11 per cent.

“Reducing the demand for and availability of drugs in prisons creates a safer environment for staff and better rehabilitation outcomes for prisoners,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections

Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga today officially launched the construction of a new maximum-security facility at Auckland Prison.

The facility will provide a safer environment for staff, prisoners and visitors and help in the rehabilitation of offenders, Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

The existing maximum-security building dates back to 1968 and is New Zealand’s only such facility.  As well as accommodating all New Zealand’s maximum-security prisoners, it also houses all prisoners from the northern region with high needs and challenging behaviour.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Corrections