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Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Minister Peter Dunne today announced the appointment of 11 members to the inaugural Game Animal Council.

“The new Game Animal Council is about giving hunters of deer, tahr, chamois and pigs an active voice in the management of their recreation. These appointments include a diverse range of interests in hunting and a geographic spread across the country,” Dr Smith says.

The 11 members are:

Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Peter Dunne was saddened to learn today the passing of Beverley Grammer, Presiding Member of the Lottery Individuals with Disabilities Committee.

"Over the past 13 years Beverley has served both as a committee member, and more recently as Presiding Member, of a committee which is focused on improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities”, says Mr Dunne.

Courts Minister Chester Borrows and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne have welcomed the Law Commission’s report reviewing the rules that govern how the media report on suspected suicides.

The Government asked the Law Commission to conduct the review examining this issue and to look at the role of social media in discussing suicide.

“I would like to thank the Law Commission for its thorough assessment of the law governing this very delicate subject,” says Mr Borrows.

Internal Affairs Minister Hon Peter Dunne today announced that Lotto New Zealand has received international recognition for its commitment to providing a safe gaming environment. 

Lotto New Zealand’s responsible gaming programme has been officially certified to Level 3, out of four possible levels, by the World Lottery Association under its Responsible Gaming Framework. 

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has refuted entirely claims by the opposition that Problem Gambling Foundation funding is being cut due to political pressure.

“The Ministry of Health clearly signalled in 2012 that it would go to the market for the provision of gambling harm minimisation services during its public consultation on this issue, and this is the outcome of that process”, says Mr Dunne.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has welcomed the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority’s (PSRA) decision to suspend the interim retail licences for 6 psychoactive substance product retailers in the Hamilton area.

Following a meeting on Wednesday evening with Hamilton MPs Tim Macindoe and David Bennett, who strongly reiterated the need for prompt action in responding to the Hamilton City Council locally approved product policy (LAPP), the PSRA again contacted the Hamilton City Council seeking clarification on retail outlets contravening the new Council plan.

Internal Affairs Minister and Presiding Member of the Lottery Grants Board Hon Peter Dunne has announced the names of the successful applicants to the Lottery Significant Projects Fund.

“The Significant Projects Fund enables major community projects to become a reality, building on the vision of communities, and creating legacies for future generations. I am therefore pleased to announce that over $28 million has been approved to fund important projects across New Zealand, supporting a range of environmental, cultural and sporting projects,” says Mr Dunne

Former rugby league coach and businessman Graham Lowe ONZM, QSM has been appointed to chair a forum which will consider whether further restrictions should be placed on the marketing of alcohol.

The Ministerial Forum on Alcohol Advertising and Sponsorship will gather evidence and expert advice about the effectiveness of possible advertising or sponsorship controls.

Justice Minister Judith Collins says Cabinet agreed to the forum in 2011 when the alcohol reform legislation was being considered by Parliament.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Peter Dunne, has announced the appointment of Maggie Burrill and Tina Wehipeihana-Wilson for a further term on the Lottery Grants Board. Mrs Burrill has been appointed for a three-year term and Ms Wehipeihana-Wilson for a two-year term.

The Board is established under the Gambling Act 2003 to distribute the profits of New Zealand lotteries, arising from activities such as Lotto, Lotto Strike, Instant Kiwi and Keno.

Online Government services are proving popular with Kiwi families Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne said today.

"By December, an average of 43.3% of measured government service transactions were happening online, up from 29 per cent in June 2012. New Zealanders are increasingly choosing to use Government services digitally.”

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has welcomed the release of a consultation paper on Regulations to the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013.

The paper, prepared by the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority, seeks feedback to help shape the final regulatory powers alongside the Act and ensure robust, future-proof controls are in place to regulate the psychoactive substance market.

Minister of Internal Affairs Peter Dunne welcomed the announcement by the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) that it will go live with the RealMe service from mid-February, enabling new customers to prove their identity online.

“The BNZ is to be commended for adopting this innovative new service. RealMe is a core component of the Government’s drive to deliver better, faster online services.  It is good to see the banking sector adopting the technology to give their customers comprehensive online services,” says Mr Dunne.

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne says the further deployment today of fire fighters to Australia underscores the close relationship and cooperation our two countries have when dealing with times of national adversity.

The team of 22 fire fighters being sent to Victoria today will be followed by a further contingent on Monday. The New Zealanders will provide much-needed respite to Australian fire forces who have been battling fires for weeks.

Finance Minister Bill English and Revenue Minister Peter Dunne have welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement today that it has completed legislative steps to allow New Zealanders to transfer their retirement savings between complying Australian superannuation schemes and KiwiSaver.

The new arrangements take effect from 1 July, 2013.

Communities are going to be better supported to cope with the loss of a major employer or industry through an initiative being trialled in the new suicide prevention plan launched by Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today.

‘Unemployment is a known risk factor for suicide and in New Zealand, there is a high co-relation between unemployment and youth suicide, particularly among young Māori males.

“Communities that are particularly dependent on one employer or industry are also particularly vulnerable if that employer or industry fails.

Eight million dollars will be spent over the next four years supporting Māori and Pasifika communities on developing their own solutions to suicide, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said today.

In launching the New Zealand Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2013 to 2016, Mr Dunne said a non-government organisation will be contracted to develop suicide prevention services that will help Maori whanau, hapu, iwi, and Pasifika families and communities prevent suicide.

An $8 million four-year programme to strengthen Māori and Pasifika communities; support for anyone who loses a family member to suicide and a pilot programme supporting small communities losing a major industry or employer are among 30 initiatives in the new national suicide prevention plan launched by Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne today.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne wants to push the Psychoactive Substances Bill through Parliament faster than planned when it returns from the select committee in mid-June, with the aim of having the legislation in place in July.

“As I have said, we need to get this law right. It is about the health of young New Zealanders using legal highs, and it is world-leading legislation. No one else has done anything like it,” Mr Dunne said.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today released details of the Government’s $55.3 million, three-year gambling harm strategy to be funded and implemented by the Health Ministry, and recouped from the gambling industry through the problem gambling levy.

“Essentially the problem gambling levy is a mechanism to recover the costs from the gambling industry as part of the Government’s continuing commitment to addressing the important issue of gambling harm,” Mr Tremain says.

Proposals to reform the tax treatment of foreign superannuation and bring the tax treatment of gold, silver and ironsands mining into line with other economic activities are the centrepieces of a tax bill introduced in Parliament today, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne has announced.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today announced the make-up of the interim expert advisory committee that will help set the safety testing regime for legal highs under the incoming Psychoactive Substances Bill.

Small, innovative businesses are set to benefit from proposed changes that will allow them to claim tax losses on research and development, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne says.

A public consultation paper will be released in June on a proposal to allow tax losses arising from R&D expenditure to be refunded up to a certain limit. It will be targeted at R&D-intensive start-up firms.

“Small, innovative businesses that invest heavily in research and development are doing the right thing and we want more of them.

Changes to the thin capitalisation rules will help ensure multinational companies investing in New Zealand pay their fair share of tax, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne says.

The changes flow from an issues paper released earlier this year.

“New Zealand welcomes foreign investors, but we expect everyone participating in the New Zealand economy to contribute their share of tax,” Mr Dunne says.

Budget 2013 provides a permanent $6.65 million increase in annual funding for Inland Revenue to pursue property investment tax compliance, which is expected to return about $45 million a year, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne says.

The extra funding will begin in the 2014/15 financial year.

“This continues the Government’s focus on ensuring that everyone pays their fair share of tax,” Mr Dunne says.