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The Government is committed to ensuring people with dementia receive help sooner and has invested $250,000 in a national awareness campaign.

TV commercials and magazine advertising raising awareness about dementia and the help available for people affected by this devastating condition starts this week. 

“The campaign, managed by Alzheimers New Zealand, aims to reduce the stigma sometimes associated with dementia and to encourage people to see a doctor if they or someone they know is showing signs of the condition,” says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

Hon Tim Groser, the New Zealand Minister of Trade and a candidate for the position of WTO Director General, called on his counterpart, the Hon Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo  today and discussed a range of regional and multilateral trade issues.  Samoa is the first stop by Minister Groser in a wider visit to the Pacific.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker have announced a joint accord deferring the Christchurch City Council’s Long Term Plan until 2015 to allow an earthquake recovery cost-sharing method to be mutually agreed. 

Instead the Council will undertake a new plan, to be called the Christchurch City Three Year Plan.

Mr Brownlee says this new planning process will give surety to Christchurch rate payers, the people of Christchurch, the New Zealand tax payer, the financial markets and development partners.

The Minister of Youth Affairs, Hon Nikki Kaye, has opened the selection process for Youth Parliament 2013 and is inviting young people aged 16-18 to contact their local MP and apply to represent their community.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will depart for a five-day visit to Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu today to discuss trade issues as well as his candidature for WTO Director-General role.

“We are an important trading partner for many of our Pacific neighbours,” says Mr Groser. “Therefore this visit will be an opportunity to meet my counterparts in these five nations and discuss New Zealand’s trade and economic relationship with them.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett leaves for Washington DC today where she is the keynote speaker at a home visiting conference next week.

“It’s a real privilege to be asked to talk about the New Zealand experience with home visiting programmes like Family Start,” says Mrs Bennett.

Family Start is New Zealand’s most intensive and expensive home visiting programme designed to help at-risk children and families.

“It’s vital we get this service right for our most vulnerable children.”

The Government is looking at changes to the way Councils charge for new sections and other developments by today releasing a discussion paper as part of its work on housing affordability and local government reform.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, meeting in Queenstown for their annual talks, today announced that the two governments will provide $3 million in matched funding over the next two years to support the identification of a potential vaccine for Rheumatic Fever. 

Rheumatic Fever may lead to long term heart damage known as Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Prime Minister John Key says Australia and New Zealand are two of the most integrated economies in the world and this weekend’s talks with Prime Minister Gillard have only strengthened that bond.

The two Prime Ministers are in Queenstown for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ meeting.

Prime Minister Key and Prime Minister Gillard acknowledged the 30th Anniversary of the Australia/New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Agreement (CER). 

The government has welcomed today’s announcement by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard of the design for the Australian Memorial which will be located in the National War Memorial Park in Wellington.

“It is a powerful and affecting design which will be a fitting tribute to the relationship between Australia and New Zealand and our shared military history,” Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson said.

Health Minister Tony Ryall visited Malyon House in Mount Maunganui today to see first-hand a government initiative to help nurses provide better care for older people in rest homes.

Sport Minister Murray McCully says the Australian Crime Commission report on Organised Crime and Drugs in Sport needs to be taken seriously on this side of the Tasman.

“I have asked Sport New Zealand, High Performance Sport NZ and Drug Free Sport NZ to report back to me on the implications of the Australian Crime Commission report released yesterday,” Mr McCully says.

“I have asked them to consult with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and any other relevant bodies in compiling their report.

Once again the hypocrisy of the Labour-Greens opposition is exposed by their criticism today of the need to welcome new business investment in New Zealand, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says.

“Both parties have made it clear that they oppose ‘hands-on’ decisions made by this Government to encourage both domestic and international investment for jobs in the New Zealand economy,” Mr Joyce says.

The list of areas where they have opposed investment separately or together is long and varied.  It includes:

The government is inviting submissions on upcoming negotiations for the 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Free Trade Agreement.

In November 2012, Prime Minister John Key joined other leaders from Australia, the 10 ASEAN states, China, India, Korea and Japan, to launch the RCEP Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

More than 8150 people went off welfare into jobs in Work and Income’s Southern region over the last year.

The Southern Region includes South Canterbury, Central Otago, Otago and Southland.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on Unemployment Benefits in the Southern region dropped by 18 percent over 2012, down to 4,086.

“The Southern region has continued to show resilience in the face of a difficult job market nationwide,” says Mrs Bennett.

More than 6450 people went off welfare into work in Waikato last year.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on Unemployment Benefits in the region dropped 3.5 percent to 3699 in 2012.

“The job market has been patchy since the global recession, but Work and Income staff have worked hard to get people into jobs.”

The Future Build Programme run in partnership with Wintec, the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation and local employers, helped 19 Waikato beneficiaries into jobs.

More than 4800 people went off welfare to take up jobs in Work and Income’s Central region over the last year.

The Central Region covers Kapiti, Horowhenua, Wairarapa, Tararua and the Manawatu.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on Unemployment Benefits in the region dropped by 7.8 percent over the year in 2012, down to 3,765.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne says it is time for communities to name, shame and boycott businesses that prey on young people with unethical marketing of legal highs.

“In six months this will be sorted with law that will make the industry prove its products are safe before they can be sold, and will put restrictions on how and where they can be sold,” Mr Dunne said.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has today announced that work will begin on building two schools in greater Christchurch in April.

Work will begin on building the new Waikuku School in Pegasus Town, north of Christchurch, and on the complete rebuild of the earthquake-damaged Halswell Primary School in April.

Work is expected to be completed on both schools by early next year.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has announced that two scheduled reviews of the regulatory framework for telecommunications services are to begin immediately.

Labour once again stands accused of putting the worst possible spin on youth education and training, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce says.

“The reality is that the latest HLFS shows that just under 80 per cent of all 15-19 year olds in New Zealand are enrolled in education or training, with the total numbers up from 238,000 to 243,000 in the last quarter,” Mr Joyce says.

Tenei au e tu ake nei ki runga i te whenua o Pukaki ki Te Akitai e mihi atu nei ki a koutou katoa.

I’m delighted to be here today firstly to launch and celebrate the new name of your organisation ‘Safer Aotearoa Family Violence Prevention Network’ which has had its beginnings here in South Auckland. To the many volunteers who have supported this Network – from governance to community – for your tireless work in raising awareness and education with our whanau and aiga. Thank you for inviting me here today.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says New Zealand will assist with the emergency response to yesterday’s earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands.

“New Zealand has made $200,000 available for humanitarian supplies and support to the Solomon Islands Government assessment teams,” Mr McCully says.

“The earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which hit the remote Temotu Province, caused damage to a number of homes, and sadly there are reports that lives have been lost.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce says that while the unemployment rate fell from 7.3 to 6.9 per cent in the December quarter HLFS, the labour market remains challenging.

“This latest survey reflects the on-going impact of tough economic times globally,” Mr Joyce says. “It also demonstrates the volatility of the quarterly employment data which continues to move around.