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Today Parliament passed the Research, Science and Technology Bill, the National Library of New Zealand (Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) Amendment Bill, and the Public Records Amendment Bill - all formerly the State Sector Management Bill.

This legislation is an important step towards improved service delivery at a reduced cost, and a more future-proofed State sector says the Minister of State Services Tony Ryall. Passing the Bill today provides certainty to the staff who are expecting to implement the new structures from 1 February 2011.

Ministers Tim Groser and Nick Smith today welcomed the substantial progress made at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Cancún, Mexico, saying it represented a significant step forward towards a global, legally binding and comprehensive agreement on climate change.

The Governments of Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States jointly condemn any actions that imperil human life in the Southern Ocean. We are deeply concerned that confrontations in the Southern Ocean will eventually lead to injury or loss of life among both whaling crews and protestors, many of whom are nationals of our countries.

We call on the masters of all vessels involved in these actions in the Southern Ocean to take responsibility for ensuring that safety of human life at sea is their highest priority.

The New Zealand Government has decided not to file as a party to Australia’s legal action in the International Court of Justice against Japanese ‘scientific’ whaling in the Southern Ocean, but will instead ‘intervene’ formally in the case, a move welcomed by the Australian Government.

Foreign Ministers Kevin Rudd and Murray McCully say that both countries have agreed to work together towards the elimination of whaling in the Southern Ocean through complementary strategies.

The Government today welcomed the election of New Zealander Adrian Macey as Chair of the Kyoto Protocol at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico.

"This appointment reaffirms the respect in which New Zealand is held in the international climate change negotiations as well as being a personal tribute to Adrian Macey and his work as New Zealand’s Climate Change Ambassador between 2006 and 2010," Dr Smith said.

A bill proposing the most significant changes to the Biosecurity Act in more than a decade passed its first reading in Parliament last night and was sent to select committee.

The Biosecurity Law Reform Bill includes a wide range of amendments to the Act, along with related amendments to four other Acts.

“New Zealand has developed a highly effective biosecurity system which is recognised as world-leading, but the Act has not kept pace with the way the system has had to evolve,” Biosecurity Minister David Carter said in introducing the bill.

Courts Minister Georgina te Heuheu today launched results from the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken of court users.

‘Understanding our Court Users: Court User Survey 2010’ is the result of more than two thousand face-to-face interviews with non-professional court users from the eight largest District and combined District/High courts around the country, as well as the Auckland High Court.

A bill tightening up tobacco controls has passed its first reading in Parliament today and will now go to select committee for public submissions.

Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says the introduction of the Smoke-free Environments (Controls and Enforcement) Bill is a further signal that this Government is serious about reducing the harm caused by smoking.

The Bill proposes banning tobacco retail displays and retailers from using tobacco trading names to advertise tobacco and stricter restrictions on selling tobacco to minors.

A bill to provide a framework for the government’s broadband policies and to reform the Telecommunications Service Obligations (TSO) framework received its First Reading in Parliament today.

“The First Reading of this bill is an important step towards the government’s goal of improving the availability, quality and price of telecommunications services in New Zealand,” says the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Steven Joyce.

The government is in the midst of finalising details for its two fast broadband initiatives:

The Government is spending $92 million over three years on business R&D through the new Technology Development Grant programme.

Announcing grants to 26 companies nation-wide in Christchurch today, Research, Science and Technology Minister Wayne Mapp said that lifting high-tech export business is critical to New Zealand’s future.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson has today introduced a new Bill to Parliament that proposes changes to the Building Act 2004.

The Building Amendment Bill (No 3) is the result of a comprehensive review of the Building Act 2004.

“It forms part of a package of changes aimed at lifting the overall performance and productivity of the building and construction sector,” Mr Williamson says.

Associate Education Minister Dr Pita Sharples celebrated today’s launch of Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori as a significant step towards improving literacy and numeracy among students in Māori language immersion classes.

“Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori will help to raise achievement for Māori-medium students and to develop Māori-medium education,” says Dr Sharples.

Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson welcomed the passage of the Ngāti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Act by Parliament this afternoon.

The Act settles of all Ngāti Apa’s (North Island) historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.

The claims of Ngāti Apa (North Island) relate primarily to breaches by the Crown of its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi relating to the purchase in 1849 of the 260,000 acre Rangitikei-Turakina block.

Education Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Education Minister Dr Pita Sharples have announced the establishment of a new secondary school over two sites in Hamilton and Palmerston North.

Tai Wānanga, a Year 9 to 13 secondary school developed in conjunction with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, will deliver a tikanga-based education programme taught in English, but within a uniquely Māori environment.

Its curriculum will deliver employment-based qualifications as well as NCEA by aligning student learning to a pathway to employment or further study.

Justice Minister Simon Power leaves today for a meeting of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General in Canberra.

The Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) is comprised of the Attorneys-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, its states and territories, and New Zealand's Minister of Justice. Norfolk Island has observer status at SCAG meetings.

SCAG provides a forum for Ministers to discuss matters of mutual interest, progress projects to harmonise laws across jurisdictions, and simplify legal transactions across state and trans-Tasman boundaries.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley has today confirmed Cabinet’s acceptance of key recommendations made by the Housing Shareholders Advisory Group (HSAG). 

Providing good quality state housing to those most in need, for the duration of that need, is the main driver behind the changes, Mr Heatley says.

"Growing the pool of affordable housing is essential to moving lower need state house tenants along the housing continuum into private or community housing.

A new directive letter to the Overseas Investment Office provides extra clarity and certainty for potential investors about the Government’s general approach to foreign investment in sensitive assets, Finance Minister Bill English says.

The letter sets out the changes to regulation the Government announced in September to address concerns around large scale overseas ownership of farm land and vertically integrated primary production companies.

A financial assistance package for owners of leaky homes is a step closer today with the first reading of a bill to Parliament, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says.

Under the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill, the Government will contribute 25% of the cost of repairing a leaky home and local authorities will also pay 25% if they had signed off the original work.

Nearly 38,000 New Zealanders received colonoscopies to investigate for bowel cancer and other serious bowel issues in 2009/10 – 2,346 more than the previous year says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

"Bowel cancer kills more than 1,200 New Zealanders a year but it is also one of our most treatable and curable cancers if caught early. Colonoscopies detect bowel cancer and early detection can save lives,” says Mr Ryall.

Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee today welcomed a report commissioned by Venture Taranaki on the value of the oil and gas industry to New Zealand and the Taranaki region.

Mr Brownlee says the report, titled ‘The Wealth Beneath Our Feet,’ highlights the significant contribution of the oil and gas sector to the New Zealand economy.

Revenue Minister Peter Dunne today announced that following discussions with the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) legislation regarding the tax treatment of resident withholding tax on trusts’ interest income is to be amended.

Mr Dunne explained that the issue related to Inland Revenue’s analysis that resident withholding tax (RWT) deducted from gross interest paid to a trust forms part of the gross interest paid to a beneficiary and had to be distributed with the interest.

The Maori Party sought this review because of the interest in constitutional matters among Maori people generally, including how tikanga Maori might be recognised, and the place of the Treaty of Waitangi in the constitution.

I think many people see the Treaty as putting Maori in a privileged position, whereas we believe the Treaty guarantees rights to all New Zealanders, and provides a basis for unity in diversity.

The Government is coming to the aid of Northland farmers facing worsening drought conditions.

Agriculture Minister David Carter has today declared all areas north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge a medium-level drought zone, triggering relief measures for farmers.

These include funding for Rural Support Trusts to provide help, welfare support and farm management advice.

Mr Carter has been in Northland today meeting with farmers, Rural Support Trust members and primary sector representatives to discuss the dry conditions.

The Government will conduct a wide-ranging review of New Zealand's constitutional arrangements, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples announced today.

“This is the start of what will be a considered process over the next three years,” Mr English says.