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The government is calling for applications for 2012/13 to its regional museums policy fund for capital Construction projects, Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The fund assists regional museum and art galleries that house collections of greatest national significance to improve access to and care of these collections through major construction projects.

About $3 million will be available for allocation to qualifying museum and art gallery redevelopment projects.

The Crown today initialled a Deed of Settlement for all historical Treaty claims of Ngāti Ranginui, the first of three Tauranga iwi. Initialling a deed of settlement signals the end of substantive negotiations.

The deed was initialled in a ceremony at Huria Marae in Tauranga, with Kingi Tuheitia attending. The Crown was represented by Minister of Consumer Affairs Simon Bridges, who is also Member of Parliament for Tauranga.

The House today passed five bills giving effect to historical Treaty of Waitangi settlements, the most Treaty bills passed in any calendar year since the settlement process began in the 1990s.

“Today marks the end of a long journey to settlement for Ngāti Manawa, Ngāti Whare, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Pāhauwera,” Mr Finlayson said.

This morning Labour MP Annette King appeared on television and made allegations about the Operation Eight investigation which occurred when she was Police Minister.

There are three on-going matters in the trials arising out of that operation:

1. The defendants’ sentencing on the firearms charges where guilty verdicts were returned;

2. The possibility of the defendants appealing those guilty verdicts; and

Parliament has agreed to extended sitting hours today and, if necessary, to sit on Friday 9 March to give five Treaty settlement bills their first readings and to progress several Treaty bills through other house stages, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Māori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson confirmed today that New Zealand will be sending a waka taua (war canoe) as the country's official participant in the Thames River Pageant, which marks the Diamond Jubilee celebrating the 60th year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II on 3 June.

The New Zealand Government condemns the vandalism of war graves in Libya where hundreds of Commonwealth soldiers are buried and joins the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in expressing shock and sadness, Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson said today.

The Air Force Museum in Wigram will be available for the restoration, storage and rehabilitation of heritage and cultural collections displaced by the Canterbury earthquakes thanks to funding from the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust and government, Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson has welcomed the findings of a review of the scope and focus of the Solicitor-General’s role and the operating model of Crown Law, released today.

The review, by Auckland barrister Miriam Dean QC and Simpson Grierson Special Counsel David Cochrane, was commissioned by Mr Finlayson in October last year. The role of the Solicitor-General had previously been looked at in 1986 and 2006.

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson on behalf of the Government today congratulated actor and musician Bret McKenzie for winning best original song in the Academy Awards.

Solicitor-General David Brian Collins QC has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Collins graduated with an LLB (Hons) (First Class) from Victoria University of Wellington in 1975, subsequently gaining an LLM in 1976 and an LLD in 1993, also both from Victoria University.

The Government’s commitment to progressing Treaty settlements is being boosted by extended House sitting hours and utilising cognate bill options, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson said today.

Mr Finlayson welcomed the decision of Parliament’s Business Committee to extend the House’s sitting hours for Thursday 16 February and to sit on Friday morning, in part to progress at six bills giving effect to settlements of historical Treaty claims.

The Governor-General has amended the reporting dates for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure caused by Canterbury Earthquakes, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The Royal Commission’s report will now be delivered in parts, to allow the fullest examination of important issues while allowing the rebuild of Christchurch to proceed without unnecessary delay.

On Cabinet’s advice, the Governor-General has extended the reporting date for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River mine tragedy to 28 September 2012, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The Commissioners were originally due to report back by 31 March 2012, but approached Government requesting an extension late last year.

Auckland litigator Murray Ashley Gilbert SC has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today.

Justice Gilbert graduated with an LLB from Auckland University in 1977. In 1976 he joined Kensington Swan in Auckland as a law clerk, later becoming a partner in 1985. In 1996 he became a partner with Chapman Tripp. He left to form the partnership Gilbert Walker with Campbell Walker in 2004.

In 2008 Justice Gilbert was appointed Senior Counsel.

Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson today welcomed the return of 20 Toi moko (mummified Māori Heads), formerly held in French institutions, to New Zealand.

“This is a wonderful day for the people of New Zealand and for those Maori whose ancestors’ remains have been returned home,” Mr Finlayson said. “Toi moko have a great deal of cultural and spiritual value to New Zealand and especially to Maori.”

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson, on behalf of the Government today congratulated Sir Peter Jackson on the Golden Globe awarded for the film ‘Tintin’, which Sir Peter produced.