Displaying 25 - 48 of 6853 results.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has welcomed the International Whaling Commission’s passing of a New Zealand resolution enshrining the International Court of Justice’s decision on Japanese whaling.

“New Zealand wanted to make sure the Whaling Commission had rules in place that reflected the Court’s clear guidance on what constitutes scientific whaling,” Mr McCully says.

  • Murray McCully
  • Foreign Affairs

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today congratulated the people of Fiji following their first democratic elections since 2006.

“Fiji’s election is a significant event, both for Fiji and for the wider Pacific region,” Mr McCully says.

“New Zealand has long been an advocate for elections in Fiji, and we are proud of our support for the election preparations and the institutions that will underpin Fiji’s return to democratic rule.

  • Murray McCully
  • Foreign Affairs

Government officials are working with Solid Energy to extend the company’s remediation indemnity, which will meet the future costs of returning the company’s mining land to its pre-mined condition, Finance Minister Bill English and State Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall say.

“This will extend a similar remediation agreement made in 1987. It will strengthen Solid Energy’s equity position and ensure that it can effectively rehabilitate land after its mining has been completed,” Mr English says.

  • Tony Ryall
  • Bill English
  • State Owned Enterprises
  • Finance

Around 500 Bay of Plenty residents a year will now be able to have their cancer treatment closer to home rather than making a 3 hour round trip to the cancer centre in Hamilton.

Health Minister Tony Ryall opened the $35 million Kathleen Kilgour Cancer Centre at Tauranga Hospital today.

“This new high-tech radiotherapy unit makes use of innovative technology with two state-of-the-art linear accelerators,” says Mr Ryall.

  • Tony Ryall
  • Health

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew has welcomed the end of the recent measles outbreak in New Zealand.

“Since December last year there have been 281 confirmed measles cases across the North Island, with 15 per cent of these cases requiring hospital treatment,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“So it is great news that the outbreak now appears to be over, with no new cases reported since 10 August 2014.

“Public Health Units in the affected regions have been working hard to halt the spread of this highly infectious virus.

  • Jo Goodhew
  • Health

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has congratulated the team at the New Zealand Formulary as the number of users of this excellent resource has surpassed  the 1 million mark.

The New Zealand Formulary has been developed as part of the government's medicines strategy, Medicines New Zealand, aimed at achieving best use of medicines for optimal health outcomes. The Formulary provides an up-to-date, comprehensive and New Zealand-specific medicines information resource for New Zealanders, health professionals in particular.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Health

Senior Citizens Minister Jo Goodhew has announced an essay competition for primary school students aimed at understanding youth attitudes towards older people.

“To promote positive ageing, it is important to understand the attitudes and perceptions younger people have towards their elders,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“The essay topic: 1914 – 2014: The greatest greats and grands of the last 100 years, is all about inspirational or prominent older New Zealanders in the last 100 years.

  • Jo Goodhew
  • Senior Citizens

Women’s Affairs Minister Jo Goodhew has celebrated the 121st anniversary of women’s suffrage with an event recognising women leaders in innovation.

This evening’s event is part of the Leading Edge series being held at the National Library in Wellington. This series looks at New Zealand, both past and present, through the lens of innovation.

“In celebrating our women leaders in innovation, I acknowledge the women and men in 1893 that were innovative in their struggle to give women voting rights,” Mrs Goodhew said.

  • Jo Goodhew
  • Women’s Affairs

The completed $3 million upgrade of Tasman Valley Road at Aoraki/Mount Cook was officially opened today by Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith.

“The major upgrade of the Tasman Valley Road is about improving the safety and accessibility to New Zealand’s most spectacular alpine environment. This new road will enable over 100,000 visitors annually to enjoy the magnificent mountain, lake and glacial views of the Tasman Valley, and the unique flora and fauna including mountain lilies and daisies, and our unique mountain parrot, the kea,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Prime Minister John Key tonight corrected misinformation that has been put in the public domain concerning the operations of the Government Communications Security Bureau.

“Claims have been made tonight that are simply wrong and that is because they are based on incomplete information,” Mr Key says.

“There is not, and never has been, a cable access surveillance programme operating in New Zealand.

“There is not, and never has been, mass surveillance of New Zealanders undertaken by the GCSB.

  • John Key
  • Prime Minister

Prime Minister John Key says he stands by his statements that he did not know about Dotcom until the day before the raid took place on his property in January 2012.

An alleged email has surfaced today from 27 October 2010 between WarnerBros Kevin Tsujihara and MPAA’s Mike Ellis which has been discredited by both parties.

“The conversation allegedly reported on in the email did not take place,” Mr Key says.

“People will see this for what it is.”

  • John Key
  • Prime Minister

The Government is providing $90,000 from the Community Conservation Partnership Fund to support the Kea Conservation Trust, Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

  • Nick Smith
  • Conservation

Work got underway this morning on the fourth of six sections of Christchurch’s Western Corridor motorway, with the first sod turned by Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee for the Johns Road section from The Groynes to Sawyers Arms Road.

  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Transport

Thank you so much for inviting me here to Te Pūtahitanga o Te Wai Pounamu’s first Hothouse weekend.  And thank you to our fine MCs, Rā Dallas and Sheree Waitoa, for making us all so welcome.

I have to admit that ever since your launch in July, I have talked about little else than the fresh new face of innovation that Te Pūtahitanga o Te Wai Pounamu represents. And so I want to firstly mihi to your Chair, Norm Dewes and the Board, to Lisa Tumahai, the Chair of Te Taumata and your dedicated staff.  

  • Tariana Turia
  • Whānau Ora

I want to acknowledge Dr George Laking, your Chair and Te Rina Moke, your Chief Executive Officer for the opportunity to be here with you all.

I have been greatly looking forward to this hui – to celebrate our medical graduates, medical fellows, medical practitioners, health workers and health professionals.

By virtue of the career you have chosen you have opted for a life of passion, a life of selfless commitment to the greater good – the wellbeing of the people.   It is good to be in your company.

  • Tariana Turia
  • Health

A fourth tranche of 17 Special Housing Areas (SHAs) that would yield more than 8000 additional new homes across Auckland was today announced by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

A proposed settlement has been agreed that will lead to home support workers getting paid for the time they spend traveling between clients.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said Cabinet has agreed to a $38 million a year settlement which will now go out to employees, home and community support service employers and district health boards for ratification.

The Public Service Association and the Service and Food Workers Union will both recommend the proposal to their members which, if accepted, would take effect from 1 July 2015.

  • Tony Ryall
  • Health

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has welcomed the safe release of 45 United Nations peacekeepers from Fiji who had been detained in Syria.

“The safe release of the peacekeepers is an excellent outcome for the soldiers and their friends and family in Fiji,” Mr McCully says.

“New Zealand applauds the hard work from the United Nations and others to secure their safe release.

“The peacekeepers were working under the United Nations banner to maintain stability along the border between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights.

  • Murray McCully
  • Foreign Affairs

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed Christchurch City Council’s ratification of the Christchurch Housing Accord which will enable further housing initiatives to assist the city’s recovery.

  • Nick Smith
  • Housing

Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced the Government has signed contracts to open four new Partnership Schools in 2015.

“These new schools will help raise educational achievement, in particular for those groups of students who have for a long time been under-served by the mainstream system,” Ms Parata says.

  • Hekia Parata
  • Education

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced that $139 million over six years will be invested in new science research programmes.

The 48 research programmes receiving funding in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) 2014 science investment round  are in the biological industries, high-value manufacturing and services, energy and minerals, environmental, and health and society sectors.

  • Steven Joyce
  • Science and Innovation

The number of doctors practising in New Zealand will continue to grow as record numbers of graduates have signed up for GP training next year says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

Figures from the Ministry of Health show 165 graduate doctors have accepted places into the General Practice Education Programme (GPEP).

“Due to the hard work of the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Medical Council of New Zealand, and Health Workforce NZ, there has been a substantial increase in the number of junior doctors interested in becoming a GP,” says Mr Ryall.

  • Tony Ryall
  • Health

Pacific Island Affairs Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga is welcoming the official announcement of the All Blacks vs Samoa game in Apia next July 8 and says the local Samoan community are already preparing to attend en masse.

“It is an honour for Samoa, but also an event not to be missed for the local Samoan community who make New Zealand their home.  No doubt there will be a lot of mixed emotions about who to support and the atmosphere will be incredible,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga.

  • Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
  • Pacific Island Affairs

Ngaio Primary School will receive a major property upgrade worth almost $3.3 million, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye says.

“I am very pleased that an agreement has been reached with the Ngaio School Board to undertake several much-needed upgrades concurrently.

“We are also using this opportunity to provide some exciting new learning spaces for the students that will assist in the delivery of the curriculum. Bundling the work into one project will help to reduce disruption to the students and staff.”

  • Nikki Kaye
  • Education