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Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee and Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce have today announced the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will join forces with the local authorities of the Tairawhiti Region – Gisborne, Wairoa and Napier and Hastings – to deliver a broad and deep study of the region’s economic potential over the next 30 years and appropriate transport infrastructure that would service that.

Thank you for your warm welcome and thank you all for the opportunity to speak to you today and to meet members of NZAMI.

As New Zealand’s largest immigration adviser association you play a very important part in advising, supporting, advocating and helping migrants with settlement, and I thank you for the good work you do.

You will be aware that consultation is underway on the review of the Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct and licensed advisers have been invited to submit their views.

The Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill, which extends commissioner governance of Environment Canterbury until the 2016 local government elections, has passed its second reading in Parliament.

Local Government Minister Chris Tremain says the Commissioners’ impressive record to date includes:

Minister of Maori Affairs, Hon Dr Pita Sharples has welcomed the news that today Australia’s House of Representatives unanimously passed an Act of Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as first peoples of Australia, which also commits the next Parliament to hold a referendum with the intention of recognising their indigenous status in Australia’s Constitution.

Dr Sharples said “I applaud the commitment shown by Australia’s House of Representatives to provide recognition for the rights and status of indigenous people in Australia.”

Around 85,000 more people with high health needs are now receiving extra support through the Government’s Care Plus programme compared to five years ago.

“This year we are investing $50 million in the Care Plus programme – more than double what was spent in 2007,” says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

“The extra funding has allowed more people with long term conditions, such as diabetes or acute mental health needs, to receive extra support, coordinated through their general practice team, to better manage their health.

Revenue Minister Peter Dunne today welcomed the release of an OECD report which calls upon member countries, including New Zealand, to develop a shared response to the question of taxing large multinational companies.

“The issue of large multinationals shifting their profits to countries in order to gain the most favourable tax result is of huge importance to OECD member states who are concerned about how this practice can distort and erode their respective tax bases,” Mr Dunne said.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says provisional NCEA results show more students are achieving, particularly Pasifika students.

The provisional results show that 82.7 per cent of students achieved NCEA Level 2 last year compared to 81.9 per cent in 2011. An increase of 6.7 per cent since 2008.

The results show a marked improvement for Pasifika students with 67.3 per cent achieving NCEA Level 2 last year, up nearly three per cent on 64.4 per cent in 2011.

Finance Minister Bill English will present Budget 2013 on Thursday 16 May, he announced today.

“This will be the National-led Government’s fifth Budget in what have been extremely challenging global economic times,” he says.

“It will continue to implement the Government’s programme to deliver a more competitive and faster-growing economy, more jobs and a return to fiscal surplus,” he says.

Minister with responsibility for Novopay Steven Joyce today provided an update on Novopay and the measures the Government is taking to address its issues.

Mr Joyce says Cabinet has agreed to put aside $5 million under the Remediation Plan for the payroll system. This funding will cover work on bug fixes and boosting the number of call centre and data processing staff. Details on the Remediation Plan and timings will be publicly released shortly.

Education Minister Hekia Parata today congratulated the New Zealand Scholarship Award winners for 2012.

Almost 8000 students participated in New Zealand Scholarship exams last year, with 2344 students achieving a scholarship.

“This year’s award winners should feel very proud of what they have achieved. New Zealand Scholarship achievement is a reflection of the great work done by students, teachers, parents and whānau throughout the school year to ensure educational success”.

Thank you, Hugh, for that very warm welcome.

Good morning to Board members and staff of Wellink and Richmond New Zealand,

Greetings to Parliamentary colleagues, local authority dignitaries, DHB representatives, and also to those service users of Wellink and Richmond who are here today.

I feel very honoured as Associate Minister of Health with responsibility for mental health, and as a local Member of Parliament to be here today to mark this special occasion.

Police Minister Anne Tolley says the introduction of smartphones and tablets for frontline officers across New Zealand will deliver around 520,000 additional frontline Police hours every year, with more Police work and less paperwork, to further prevent and tackle crime.

6,500 frontline officers will be issued with a smartphone by mid-2014, with 3,900 staff also receiving tablets, so they can access, input and share important information immediately, without having to travel back to their station to access databases or write reports.

Police officers will soon be spending more time out in New Zealand communities and less time in the office, when a nation-wide rollout of new mobile technology begins, Prime Minister John Key announced today.

“From April, 6,086 frontline officers will start using smartphones and tablets to access vital information that will help them prevent crime, catch criminals and protect New Zealanders,” says Mr Key.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew today announced that the new funding round for the Support for Volunteering Fund is now open.

“The Support for Volunteering Fund provides over $500,000 each year to projects and organisations that promote and support volunteering in New Zealand,” said Mrs Goodhew.

“The funding is divided between Volunteering New Zealand, regional volunteer centres and selected projects in the volunteer sector. The focus for the current funding round is Māori, Pacific and ethnic community projects.

Ethnic Affairs Minister Judith Collins will welcome members of New Zealand’s Chinese communities to Parliament tonight to mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year.

Ms Collins says the function will be a colourful display of Chinese culture and tradition, and will acknowledge the close relationship between New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China.

“Tonight we mark the beginning of the Year of the Snake and recognise the significant contribution our Chinese communities make to New Zealand,” Ms Collins says.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the start of the Education and Science Select Committee hearings on the Education Amendment Bill.

The Bill establishes Partnership Schools and clarifies surrender and retention powers for schools. It also supports the provision of early childhood education by enabling the Ministry of Education to assign a National Student Number to children at a much younger age, and clarifies the primary purpose of school Boards of Trustees.

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says a Bill which will enable prisons to operate more effectively has passed its second reading.

The Bill proposes improvements to drug testing and searching procedures, which will lead to enhanced safety and security.

It will also make it an offence for a prisoner to “waterload” prior to a drug test.

“We are using this Bill to make tobacco and smoking items illegal on prison grounds, which will strengthen current regulations,” says Mrs Tolley.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has condemned today’s reported nuclear test by North Korea, the third since it began testing in 2006.

“North Korea continues to blatantly defy United Nations Security Council resolutions – that is of deep concern and represents a significant threat to peace and security in the region,” Mr McCully says.

Visitor numbers for the Centenary Anzac Day Commemorative Services at Gallipoli on 25 April 2015 will be set at 10,500 people, Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael Woodhouse has confirmed.

“The Turkish Government recently reviewed the Anzac Commemorative Site and has formally advised that the maximum capacity is 10,500 people,” says Mr Woodhouse.

“Demand for places at the 2015 Gallipoli commemorations is expected to significantly exceed the site capacity. That is why both Australia and New Zealand has agreed to ballot attendance passes.”

The Government is stepping up its efforts to reduce rheumatic fever – and there are early signs of progress, says Health Minister Tony Ryall. 

“Early data from hospitals suggest fewer patients are turning up with acute rheumatic fever.

“Provisional rheumatic fever hospitalisation data for 2012 shows a lower incidence rate than 2011. 

“In 2012 there were 169 initial hospitalisations of acute rheumatic fever (3.8 per 100,000) compared with 187 (4.2 per 100,000) in 2011.

Minister for Ethnic Affairs, Justice, and Minister Responsible for the Human Rights Commission, Judith Collins says comments by New Zealand First MP Richard Prosser are extremely disappointing and may cause international embarrassment for New Zealand.

“New Zealand values diversity and prides itself on being an inclusive society.

Students and parents will be able to make more informed career and study choices following today’s release of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s new Occupation Outlook report.

The report, which provides a snapshot of the current state of 40 of New Zealand’s most common occupations and their likely employment prospects, has been welcomed by Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce.

Statistics Minister Maurice Williamson says the resignation of Government Statistician Geoff Bascand leaves a big gap to fill.

Mr Bascand has resigned to take up a position at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. He finishes at Statistics New Zealand on May 24th.

“Geoff Bascand has been the Government Statistician ever since I became Statistics Minister. In the four years we’ve worked together I’ve been grateful for his advice and determination to make statistics useful,” Mr Williamson says.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says feedback from tonight’s second public meeting in Auckland will be vital in helping establish a new policy to deal with earthquake-prone buildings.

Proposals for a national approach to deal with earthquake-prone buildings are out for consultation, and if adopted would mean all such buildings would be dealt with within 15 years, compared with the current average of 28 years.