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Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith today announced the approval of the phase two regulations of the Financial Markets Conduct Act. The regulations come into effect on 1 December 2014.

“The approval of these regulations represents the last major step in the once-in-a-generation reform of our financial markets,” says Mr Goldsmith.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew will be celebrating International Day for Volunteer Managers tomorrow.

“The fifth of November is more than just a day for fireworks. For the last 15 years it is also a day for recognising the hard work and dedication of those Volunteer Managers that drive the voluntary sector,” Mrs Goodhew said.

“Volunteer managers bring a passion to the voluntary sector, ensuring New Zealand’s over one million volunteers feel supported and rewarded for the work they do in the community,” she said.

The Government remains committed to its social investment approach to improve services for New Zealanders most in need, Finance Minister Bill English says.

“The Prime Minister has made clear that in this third term the Government will further focus on issues influencing children in material deprivation and hardship. Just as there are many and sometimes inter-related causes of hardship, there must also be multiple and sometimes inter-related strands to the solution. 

New Zealand’s top researchers will receive $56 million in Marsden Fund grants over the next three years as a result of funding decisions announced today, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says.

101 programmes have been approved in this year’s funding round and include projects on robotics as therapy for cerebral palsy, using Google balloons to probe weather systems, why heart failure is common in diabetics, and fine-scale imaging of the Alpine Fault zone.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has announced the winners of The Challenge, a creative school competition honouring one of New Zealand’s finest fighting forces, the 28^th Māori Battalion.

The Challenge gives Year 7-13 students the opportunity to express what they learn about the Battalion using 21^st century media.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has today named diplomat Justin Fepuleai as New Zealand’s next Consul-General to New Caledonia. He will also be accredited to French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.

“Our relationship with the French territories in the Pacific is extremely important,” Minister McCully says.

“New Caledonia and French Polynesia are two of New Zealand’s largest trading partners in the Pacific, and our total goods trade is worth more than $350 million annually.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has appointed diplomat Barney Riley as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Egypt.

“New Zealand has a strong trade relationship with Egypt. It is our third largest trading partner in Africa and has a growing interest in New Zealand dairy and meat,” Mr McCully says.

“Egypt is the most populous Arab country and as regional leader its stability is important for the region.  

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith today released a discussion document on new consumer credit regulations aimed at improving the information lenders provide to people taking out loans.

“These regulations will mean consumers can get the information they need to make good decisions when borrowing money,” Mr Goldsmith says. 

“I welcome feedback on these proposals from borrowers and lenders to ensure that the regulations provide the intended consumer benefits while minimising compliance costs.”

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says a series of Ebola readiness briefings for key health sector staff in major metropolitan centres gets underway in Christchurch today.

“While the risk of Ebola entering New Zealand remains very low, it's important that we are continuously maintaining our levels of preparedness,” says Dr Coleman.

“These briefings by the Ministry of Health are part of this – we are continuously following the international situation and updating our processes on the basis of the best possible scientific advice.

Prime Minister John Key will travel to China and Myanmar next week to attend the APEC Leaders’ meeting and the East Asia Summit.

Mr Key is one of 21 political leaders attending this year’s APEC meeting, which is being hosted by China, in Beijing from November 10-11.

“This year’s APEC is focusing of advancing regional economic cooperation and promoting innovative development, economic reform and growth, which fit well with New Zealand’s own economic priorities,” says Mr Key.

More than forty tukutuku panels will be shipped to New York this month as they start their journey to the United Nations Headquarters where they will be permanently installed.

At the exhibition closing of Kāhui Raranga – Aotearoa New Zealand’s heart at the United Nations, the Minister for Māori Development Te Ururoa Flavell said the tukutuku panels were, “a powerful statement to the world about our country; who we are; and the land that shaped us.”

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed the start of Conservation Week, which this year has a theme of “Discover the world where you live.”

Conservation Week 2014 runs until 9^th November. There are more than 150 events planned nationwide, ranging from beach clean ups and special guided night walks, to training dogs to stay away from kiwi and native snail monitoring.

Many of the events are designed to be opportunities for people to take a behind-the-scenes look at projects in their local area and to learn more about conservation.

Climate Change Minister Tim Groser today welcomed the latest international report on climate change which was released last night in Copenhagen.

Climate Change 2014, the Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment brings together the findings from the three previously published volumes of the report. They cover The Physical Science Basis; Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability; and Mitigation of Climate Change. 

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman welcomes the Health Promotion Agency’s latest alcohol moderation campaign which launches tonight with a television campaign promoting water as a tool to pace your drinking.

“Binge drinking is a major issue for New Zealand with the social and economic effects impacting on individuals, communities and New Zealand as a whole,” says Dr Coleman.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy is leading a six-day New Zealand trade mission to Sri Lanka and India, departing tomorrow.

The Minister will be accompanied by representatives of 15 New Zealand organisations as well as ex-New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming, who is coach of the Chennai Super Kings cricket team.

“This trade mission to Colombo, Delhi and Mumbai is a great opportunity to profile New Zealand’s co-hosting of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in just 100 days to two cricketing nations,” says Mr Guy.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith is urging people to be responsible and respectful when using fireworks over the Guy Fawkes week ahead, with sales permitted from tomorrow until Wednesday 5 November.

“We want people to enjoy their fireworks but this relies on users carefully following instructions, ensuring children are properly supervised and being conscious of neighbours and animals,” Dr Smith says.

Customs officers at the border will be enforcing new duty free limits for tobacco products from today.
 
Travellers will now have to pay GST and duty if they bring in more than 50 cigarettes, down from 200, or 50 grams of cigars or roll your own tobacco.  The gift concession for tobacco has also been removed.
 

Senator David Johnston and his New Zealand counterpart Gerry Brownlee met in Perth today for the annual Australia-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting.

Both Ministers were pleased to have the opportunity to meet in advance of the opening Centenary of ANZAC event at Albany on 1 November.

The next four years of Centenary of ANZAC commemorations will demonstrate that the Australia-New Zealand defence relationship, forged on the battlefields, remains strong 100 years after the start of World War I.

Police Minister Michael Woodhouse will travel to Monaco tomorrow to represent the New Zealand Government at the INTERPOL Ministerial Meeting on 3 – 4 November.

The INTERPOL Ministerial meeting will be held concurrently with the INTERPOL 83rd General Assembly which marks a century since the concept was proposed at the first International Police Congress held in Monaco in 1914. The 83rd General Assembly is themed ‘Turn Back Crime: 100 years of International police cooperation.’

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman welcomes the establishment of a new research health fellowship at Waikato DHB which will look at rehabilitation.

“We want those who need rehabilitation following a stroke or an accident to get the care and support they need so they can live longer healthier lives away from hospitals,” says Dr Coleman.

A significant milestone in the Government’s commitment to the Christchurch rebuild has been achieved, says Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett.

Today marks the half-way point in a comprehensive repair of earthquake-damaged Housing New Zealand (HNZ) properties, with the 2500^th home repair completed ahead of schedule.  

“HNZ has undertaken a large scale repair and rebuild programme that when completed by the end of 2015 will see 5000 damaged homes repaired and 700 new homes built,” Mrs Bennett says. 

Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the latest figures from Statistics New Zealand that show strong annual growth in the number of building consents.

"There were 24,046 building consents issued across the country in the year to September 2014. This is a six-year high, and reflects an increase of 22 per cent on the same period last year," Dr Smith says.

"The rate of building consents in Auckland, meanwhile, are at an eight-year high, with 7320 consents issued in the year to September 2014 - 30 per cent more than the previous year.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse welcomed the recommendations of the Independent Forestry Safety Review and outlined the Government’s initial response.

“The Government supports the findings of this review and acknowledges everyone who played a role in this critically important work. The safety record of the forestry sector is not acceptable and Government agencies are committed to working in partnership with industry to build a safe, sustainable and professional forestry sector,” Mr Woodhouse says.

State Services Minister Paula Bennett is pleased to announce that today New Zealand formally became a member of the Open Government Partnership, with the publication of New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership (OGP) Action Plan. 

The OGP was established in 2011 and is an international partnership of countries aiming to foster openness, transparency and accountability to their citizens.

“The OGP Action Plan, published today, outlines our commitment to the Partnership, and to ensuring open and transparent government,” Mrs Bennett says.