Displaying 1 - 24 of 159 results.

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

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne is delighted the digital identity service RealMe last night won an international internet award saying it shows how highly the government service is rated.

“The win for RealMe in the Security & Online Safety category at the Australia and New Zealand Internet Awards held in Melbourne underscores the integrity of the RealMe service and the trust and confidence New Zealanders can place in the service.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Latest provisional figures from the Chief Coroner for the year ending 30 June 2014, show an encouraging decline in the number of deaths by suicide among young people aged between 15 and 24 years with 110 suicides compared with 144 last year. The figures also suggest that suicide deaths amongst Māori may have stabilised as have suicide deaths in Christchurch, which, like last year’s figures, are back to pre-earthquake levels.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Health

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne has announced a review of the passport validity period including an independent review of passport security and a review of passport costs with a view to returning to 10-year passports.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

New regulations requiring gaming machine societies to increase the minimum they return to the community from Class 4 gaming machine (‘pokie’) takings come into effect on 4 September 2014, Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne announced today.

“The Gambling (Class 4 Net Proceeds) Amendment Regulations 2014 will increase the minimum rate of return from 37.12 per cent of gross proceeds to 42 per cent over five years, beginning in the first financial year after the regulations come into effect”, says Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has criticised ‘misleading and emotive’ statements on medicinal cannabis from pro-cannabis groups.

“These groups claim the government is blocking research and development of cannabis-based pharmaceuticals. That is not only absolutely wrong, but also shows a woeful ignorance of the process for approving any new medicinal products” says Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Health

Minister of Internal Affairs Peter Dunne is reminding all people intending to stand as candidates in this year’s General Election that they must be New Zealand citizens.

“All candidates for this year’s General Election must be New Zealand citizens at the time of their nomination, under the Electoral Act. The Department of Internal Affairs manages the citizenship process and makes recommendations to me as Minister. I make the final decisions”, says Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

All government agencies now have a shared plan to deliver more and better digital public services. Eight agencies have been working together to implement Better Public Services Result 10 - making it easier for people to do business with government in the digital environment.  Cabinet has now expanded that work to cover the whole State services and endorsed a Blueprint for the work as government policy.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

New Zealanders will now have easier, simpler access to government services with the launch of a new, cross-government website, Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne announced today.

www.govt.nz is a revolutionary breakthrough in the way the public connects with government information and services because it’s designed from the outside-in – it’s based on real New Zealanders’ experience and feedback,” said Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Minister of Internal Affairs Peter Dunne welcomed the announcement by NZForex that it will use the RealMe service as a further endorsement of this increasingly successful government service. NZForex said that RealMe will improve the speed and convenience of making international money transfers.

RealMe is a core component of the Government’s drive to deliver better, faster online services. Large trading banks and the financial services sector have been early adopters of the RealMe service.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Digital Government services are continuing to be a hit with New Zealand families, Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne said today.

"Kiwis are doing more of their government transactions digitally; by March this year, an average of 42 per cent of measured government service transactions were completed digitally – up from 30.4 per cent when measurement started in June 2012”, says Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne is to attend and address the Global Commission on Drug Policy special session at the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne tomorrow. He has been invited to speak on New Zealand’s regulated approach to controlling psychoactive substances.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Health

Internal Affairs Minister and Presiding Member of the Lottery Grants Board Hon Peter Dunne announced today over $210 million generated from Lottery profits will be available to support a wide range of local and national projects this year.

“It is particularly exciting to see $15 million of funding allocated to the Significant Projects Fund (SPF). The SPF was re-launched in 2013 to assist large scale community projects of regional or national significance to progress.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne today announced three appointments to the Library and Information Advisory Commission (LIAC).

“I am pleased to announce that Haneta Pierce, Carolyn Robertson and Helen Tait have been appointed for one-year terms.  I believe their extensive experience will be of great benefit to LIAC”.

“LIAC’s role is to advise me on the latest developments and opportunities within the library and information sector.  I consider that it remains well placed to handle the challenges ahead,” said Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has announced changes introduced under the Medicines Amendment Act 2013 and the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Regulations 2014 broadening the scope for prescribing by nurse practitioners, optometrists and midwives that come into force tomorrow.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Health

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne today announced the reappointment of Clare O’Leary, Michael Stephens and Eileen Swan as members of the Film and Literature Board of Review, for new one-year terms.

“The reappointments will maintain the Board’s diverse range of film, art, law and psychology expertise. As incumbent members, Ms O’Leary, Mr Stephens and Ms Swan have a valuable understanding of New Zealand’s classification system”, says Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne has noted the Report from the Government Administration Select Committee on the validity period for New Zealand passports. The report is in response to the petition of Kyle Lockwood seeking the reintroduction of ten year passports for New Zealanders.

Mr Dunne has said previously that he was open-minded on the question of extending passport duration, and would be guided by the Select Committee’s report.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Courts Minister Chester Borrows and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced today that the Government has agreed to the recommendations in the Law Commission’s recent report on suicide reporting.

The Government asked the Commission to review the issue, including the role of social media in discussing suicide.

The Law Commission’s report, released in April, recommended a number of changes to clarify and improve the law governing suicide reporting. Its proposals included revised reporting restrictions focused on the details most likely to cause harm.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Chester Borrows
  • Health
  • Courts

The TVNZ archive, including over 500,000 hours of original New Zealand television, is set to become much more accessible, Broadcasting Minister Craig Foss and Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne say.

The Government is in negotiations to transfer guardianship of the archive from TVNZ to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage on 1 August. It will be managed on a day-to-day basis by the New Zealand Film Archive.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Craig Foss
  • Internal Affairs
  • Broadcasting
  • Budget 2014

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne says changes to the gambling sector will see more money returned to communities, the tightening up of potential dishonest gaming activities and a reduction of red-tape.

“Large sums of money are at stake in the Class 4 sector and it is important to ensure, as far as possible, that the maximum amount of gaming machine funds is returned to the community,” says Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

The new streamlined records management standard is simpler to use making it easier for public sector organisations to maintain and keep essential records, says Minister of Internal Affairs Hon Peter Dunne. Speaking at the launch of the standard Mr Dunne said good recordkeeping is essential for good government and the maintenance of accurate public records as legacy information.

“The records of government, documenting the nation’s official history and the stories of our heritage help us share our stories and establish what makes us the nation we are today.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Internal Affairs Minister Hon Peter Dunne will attend the first Open Government Partnership (OGP) Asia Pacific regional meeting in Bali, Indonesia on 6 and 7 May.  The OGP is an international group of countries aimed at fostering good governance and improving relations between citizens and their states, making member governments more open, accountable and responsive to citizens. 

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has announced today that when parliament resumes the government will introduce and pass under urgency legislation removing from sale all remaining so called ‘legal highs’.

“While there has been a substantial reduction in the number of these products available and the number of outlets from which they can be sold, reports of severe adverse reactions continue to be received by the National Poisons Centre and Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring” says Mr Dunne.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Health

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne (Presiding Member of the Lottery Grants Board) has today announced that the Lottery World War One Commemorations, Environment and Heritage Committee has approved funding of over $9.1 million towards 80 projects which commemorate World War One.

“The types of projects that have been funded are very diverse in nature, and will help New Zealanders commemorate a significant event in New Zealand’s history”,  Minister Dunne said. 

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs