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Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia welcomed the release today of the recommendations from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“The Government will take on board the advice from the United Nations Committee and intends to formally respond in early 2015,” says Minister Turia.

Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia welcomed the release of the second report of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism on Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ‘Making disability rights real - Whakatūturu ngā Tika Hauātanga,’ today.

The Minister for Disability Issues says the consultation report on Access to Buildings for People with Disabilities reflects the voice of the disabled community, is responsive to their needs and recognises that for a society to be fully inclusive, then disabled people must be treated as equal participants.

Minister for Whānau Ora Tariana Turia has announced that the trialling of a new national information sharing system for Whānau Ora is now underway. Four Whānau Ora sites are trialling the new system that will eventually be available to all Whānau Ora providers and collectives.

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia says that research reports recently released show that Māori continue to face a number of barriers preventing them from accessing palliative health.

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia has welcomed the Health Select Committee report for the Smokefree Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill saying it is another significant step towards a Smokefree Aotearoa 2025.

The bill has proposed a number of amendments that will ensure that the effects of branding and advertising of tobacco products are minimised.

Associate Minister of Housing Tariana Turia today announced the establishment of a National Māori Housing Unit within the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) to co-ordinate strategic Māori housing policy across government.

The Māori Housing Unit will also support the implementation of He Whare Ahuru He Oranga Tangata – The Māori Housing Strategy which was announced recently. This strategy sets out six directions for improvement in Māori housing over the next 10 years.

Associate Minister of Health and Minister for Whānau Ora Tariana Turia says that latest figures show general practices in Whānau Ora collectives are making continued progress in improving the health of high needs populations.

The recent paper, Report on the Performance of General Practices in Whānau Ora Collectives as at March 2014, compares the results of a sample of 37 general practices, which are part of Whānau Ora collectives, against a national sample of 100 general practices.

The Government has announced it will introduce a whole-of-Government approach to address family violence in New Zealand, break the cycle of violence and achieve intergenerational change.

Associate Minister for Social Development, Tariana Turia says Achieving Intergenerational Change – A whole-of-Government approach recognises that government agencies must strengthen the way they work with each other and with non-governmental organisations and communities to truly address family violence in New Zealand. 

The Government has welcomed the report from the Expert Advisory Group on Family Violence released today.  The Expert Advisory Group (EAG) was tasked with providing independent strategic advice to the Government to assist in determining key priority actions to address family violence in New Zealand.

Associate Minister for Social Development, Tariana Turia says that the report is comprehensive, covering key elements crucial in any discussion on family violence issues and solutions. 

Associate Minister of Housing Tariana Turia launched “He Whare Āhuru He Oranga Tāngata – The Māori Housing Strategy in Kaitaia today. The plan reflects the Government’s desire for a long-term strategy to improve Māori housing and respond to the housing aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi.

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia facilitated the dual launch of Tangata o le Moana – the Auckland Regional Provider Network and the refreshed ‘Ala Mo’ui: Pathways to Pacific Health and Wellbeing 2014-2018 at Pacific Homecare in Papatoetoe, Auckland this week.

The Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia has congratulated disabled New Zealander Jai Waite on winning the prestigious international Apollo Award for the editing of a documentary about a man with a disability. Jai received the award in Singapore as part of the Broadcast Asia Conference.

The latest five groups selected for the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative were today announced by Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Associate Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Tariana Turia.

The joint initiative by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Tertiary Education Commission will fund 3,000 places by 2015 to encourage young Māori and Pasifika people to gain qualifications, New Zealand apprenticeships and employment.

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia has launched an updated version of He Korowai Oranga - New Zealand’s Māori Health Strategy this morning in Parliament. The strategy builds on the success of the Whānau Ora approach and introduces the concept of Pae Ora.

Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia has announced that applications for funding under the 2014 - 2016 Māori Provider Development Scheme (MPDS) are now open.

“This is an important scheme that works to increase the capacity and capability of Māori providers to deliver effective health and disability services for Māori. It also supports activities to develop a highly-skilled Māori health workforce,” says Minister Turia.

The Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia has announced that Robert Martin will be New Zealand’s candidate for the election in 2016 for the 2017 – 2020 term of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Minister Turia presented New Zealand’s statement to the Seventh Conference of States Parties on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York on 10 June 2014.

A report released online this week by the Ministry of Health indicates that building health literacy is necessary for better understanding, prevention and management of gout.

“The report highlights a lack of information about gout that is resulting in a range of persistent inaccurate beliefs about the condition – clearly we should educate before we medicate,” says Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia.

The Hon. Tariana Turia will represent New Zealand at the 2014 Global Summit of Women in Paris and at the United Nations on Disability Issues. Minister Turia has left for London this week for a series of meetings and site visits with representatives from Government and the community in areas of housing, inequality and family violence prevention.

The Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia has announced the Disability Action Plan 2014-2018 today. The new plan is a collaborative effort between government agencies and representatives from Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO’s).

“I am pleased with this new collaborative approach. The Disability community is taking a leading role in policy, planning and  implementation. Priority actions will now be developed in consultation with them along with government agencies and other disability sector experts,” says Minister Turia.

The establishment of the New Zealand Sign Language Board is underway with Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia announcing further details today. The Government has committed $6 million over four years to promote and maintain New Zealand Sign Language in Budget 2014.

A new set of standards to ensure the delivery of safe, quality rongoā services has been released today, replacing the original rongoā standards developed in 1999.

The standards, which are available through the Ministry of Health website (www.health.govt.nz), provide clear requirements for rongoā service providers along with guidance on achieving and maintaining this level of professionalism.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia announced an additional health initiative in Budget 2014 today, new operating funding of $10 million for Better Oral Health for children and adolescents over the next four years.

Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia congratulates Deaf Aotearoa today on the launch of e-book Hairy Maclary during New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The new e-book is a translation of the much-loved story of Hairy Maclary into New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and was developed by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Deaf Aotearoa. It is the first digital resource of its kind.