Category: New Zealand Government

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Minister wishes Kiwi Para athletes success for PyeongChang

Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni wishes New Zealand’s Para athletes the best of luck as the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games commence this weekend. 
 “On behalf of all New Zealanders I wish the team the very best as they represent us on the world stage in South Korea,” Minister Sepuloni said.
 “Like many Kiwis across the country I will be following our Para athletes’ progress with great interest and I know the team will do us proud competing in the coming days. 
 “Corey Peters, Adam Hall and Carl Murphy continue to show themselves as ambassadors and inspirational role models to all New Zealanders with their talent, commitment and hard work taking them to the top of their sports.
 “A special congratulations to our proud flag bearer Corey Peters selected to lead the New Zealand team into the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium overnight. 
 “I also applaud the hard work, training and dedication of the support team, their coaches and officials in helping prepare the athletes for this event.
 “New Zealand has a great tradition of achievement in the Paralympics, which all New Zealand can be proud of.
 “I look forward to congratulating our Para athletes in person when we officially welcome them home,” Ms Sepuloni said.
 The 10-strong team of three Paralympians and seven support staff are among an estimated 670 Para athletes from 45 countries competing at the games. 

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: New Zealand welcomes US-North Korea talks

Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Winston Peters says the New Zealand government welcomes the United States willingness for talks with North Korea, and North Korea’s reported openness to discuss denuclearisation.
“New Zealand remains firmly committed to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and we have always encouraged all parties to continue to work toward this goal,” says Mr Peters.
“It has always been our position to advocate for a diplomatic solution. That’s why we welcome an indication that these high-level talks may proceed,” he says.
ENDS

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Foreign Affairs Under-Secretary to travel to Chile, Peru, and Colombia

Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau is travelling to Latin America this week. He will represent New Zealand at the inauguration of the President-elect of Chile, Sebastian Piñera, and formally open New Zealand’s Embassy in Colombia.
“I look forward to representing New Zealand at the President’s inauguration this weekend and meeting a wide range of senior political figures from across Latin America,” says Mr Tabuteau.
“The opportunities for New Zealand in Latin America are exciting and we are looking to strengthen our relations in the region,” he says.
Mr Tabuteau will also travel to Peru to meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Congressional Peru-New Zealand League, and to speak at the Pacific Alliance Observatory at the University of the Pacific. 
He will then travel to Bogotá, Colombia to formally open New Zealand’s newest Embassy, and undertake political consultations with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Our new Embassy in Colombia shows we are committed to deepening our engagement with the region,” Mr Tabuteau says.
ENDS
Contacts: Talani Meikle, Ministerial Adviser, 021 195 4309

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: New Joint Ministerial Statement on Closer Defence Relations with Australia

Minister of Defence Ron Mark has today met with his Australian counterpart Senator Marise Payne in Wellington for the annual Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
“New Zealand and Australia have a very close Defence relationship,” says Mr Mark.  “This is currently on display in Papua New Guinea where New Zealand and Australian Defence personnel are working hard to deliver aid to the earthquake stricken highlands, and in all the deployments around the world where we stand side by side”.
“Today’s meeting was a great opportunity to discuss shared security concerns, and to explore ways to work better together.  Today, as alliance partners, we are also releasing an updated Joint Statement on Closer Defence Relations.
“The statement acknowledges our mutual commitment to working side-by-side effectively and efficiently for our shared security interests, and sets out the guiding principles that underline our partnership.  It also reiterates our commitment to the South Pacific and our close friends in the region,” says Mr Mark.
Refreshed Closer Defence Relations between New Zealand and Australia will follow six principles:
We are sovereign, independent states working together both regionally and globally for our mutual security.
We share an interest in promoting and projecting a region that is secure, open and prosperous, with a particular focus on our cooperation in South Pacific;
Our defence and security partnership is open, based on mutual respect, and enduring;
We will work together to deliver capability in the most cost-effective way;
We will develop and harness the skills of our people and to enhance cooperation; and
We will focus on, and commit resources to, practical collaborative activities to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. 
The statement can be found here https://defence.govt.nz/publications/publication/anz-joint-statement-on-closer-defence-relations 

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Rare bat on the road to recovery

One of New Zealand’s rare bats is on its way to recovery after successful large-scale predator control in Fiordland, according to a new science report released by Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage today.
The New Zealand Threat Classification System report on the conservation status of New Zealand bats updates the last review in 2012.
The most significant change is the move of southern short-tailed bat from ‘threatened’ to ‘recovering’, largely due to DOC’s sustained control of rats, possums and stoats in its last mainland habitat, Ms Sage said.
“Numbers of short-tailed bats in the Eglinton valley in Fiordland National Park have steadily grown from about 300 to more than 3000 since predator control began more than a decade ago.”
The Eglinton is the last known South Island mainland site for this bat subspecies, which is also found on pest-free Whenua Hou/Codfish Island. 
The population of long-tailed bats in the Eglinton is also growing at a similar rate.
The picture is not as good for bats in other areas, particularly the North Island, Ms Sage says.
“The status of our North Island long-tailed bats has worsened since 2012 and they are now grouped with their South Island counterparts in the highest threat category of ‘nationally critical’.”
Previously the North Island long-tailed bat was assessed separately as being in a lower threat category but new genetic research has confirmed just one species.
The new threat assessment confirms that where bat forest habitat is safe and predators are suppressed, our only native land mammals can recover.
“Yet in many areas populations of both bat species continue to decline due to the threat of rats, stoats, possums and cats, and clearance of lowland forest and large old trees where bats roost.”
The effects of wasps and potential effect of kauri dieback on roost trees is also of concern.
New Zealand has two species of bats—the long-tailed bat and short-tailed bat, of which there are three subspecies. A third species—the greater short-tailed bat—is thought to be extinct.
The threat status of the central and northern short-tailed bat subspecies (found in the central and northern North Island) remains the same as in 2012—both are declining.
Bats can fly up to 30 kilometres from their roosting areas to forage and a colony range over more than 100 square kilometres.  This can make them seem more numerous than they actually are.
Further information
DOC administers the New Zealand Threat Classification System, which draws on expertise from the wider science and conservation community.
Conservation status of New Zealand bats:
 http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/science-and-technical/nztcs21.pdf
http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/bats-pekapeka/
 
 

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Young women urged to make their voices heard

Make your voice heard because no country can truly prosper without you, is the message Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given to female school students on International Women’s Day at the opening of new buildings at Tereora College in the Cook Islands.
“Across the Pacific we still have some way to go towards achieving gender equality. This is as true in New Zealand as it is for our Pacific neighbours,” Jacinda Ardern said.
“This lack of equality is holding everyone back. The sooner we release that these are not just issues that impact on women the better. No country can truly prosper if half its population is not celebrated and fully empowered.
“To the young women out there I would like to say – make your voice heard. Women need to be heard and recognised across the economy and community but especially in governance and decision-making across the Pacific and that starts with you.
“Sitting before me in the audience today are the scientists, and teachers and doctors and business people of the future. Who knows? Maybe there is even a future Prime Minister out there who will go on to lead her country?
“My hope for the future is that, across the world and our region, we continue to make progress, so that all women and young girls can learn, prosper and grow, and live with dignity, equality and basic human rights,” Jacinda Ardern said.
Due to time zones it is March 8 – International Women’s Day – in the Cook Islands.

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: New Zealand signs side letters curbing investor-state dispute settlement

New Zealand has signed agreements to exclude compulsory investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) between them with five countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker said the agreements are “side letters” with the same treaty-level status as the Agreement.
They were released alongside it this morning (NZ time) at a signing ceremony in Santiago, Chile.
New Zealand has signed additional side letters with Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Peru and Viet Nam. New Zealand has also signed a side letter to exclude ISDS with Australia, the source of 80% of investment from the CPTPP nations into New Zealand.
“I’m pleased we have been able to make so much progress in just a few months. We haven’t been able to get every country on board, but signing letters with this many CPTPP partners is a real achievement,” says Mr Parker.
A further two countries, Canada and Chile, have joined New Zealand in a declaration that they will use investor-state dispute settlement responsibly.
“This Joint Declaration is an acknowledgement of public concerns about ISDS. Along with Canada and Chile, we have pledged to work together to promote transparency.”
The side letters and declaration add to work that had already narrowed the scope for investors to make ISDS claims under the CPTPP. For example, private companies cannot make ISDS claims under the CPTPP relating to investment contracts they have entered into with governments.
“The investor-state dispute settlement mechanism had been one of our main concerns about the agreement,” says Mr Parker.
“We have tackled it from several different directions. We have also made it clear that we will oppose including ISDS in any future free trade agreements involving New Zealand.”
The terms of the side letters vary. Some exclude the use of ISDS between New Zealand and other countries entirely, while other side letters allow for arbitration to proceed only if the relevant Government agrees.
The side letters and joint declaration will be available on the MFAT website at: www.mfat.govt.nz/cptpp

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: New Zealand sets out progressive and inclusive trade approach at CPTPP signing

Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker has signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Santiago, Chile.
The Agreement brings together 11 countries whose combined economies make up 13.5 percent of world GDP – worth a combined US$10 trillion.
“This is a fair deal for New Zealand,” says Mr Parker. “It gives our exporters new opportunities in key markets like Japan, it preserves the unique status of the Treaty of Waitangi, and it protects the Government’s right to regulate in the public interest.”  
Alongside the Agreement, New Zealand has also joined Canada and Chile in issuing a Joint Declaration on fostering progressive and inclusive trade.
“It’s great to see growing international acknowledgement and understanding that we need trade that works for everyone,” Mr Parker says.
“Our countries are committed to making sure the benefits of trade and investment are broadly shared and we will be working together to achieve this.”
The declaration affirms the right of each country to regulate to achieve legitimate public policy objectives, in such areas as health, safety and the environment.
It also includes commitments to work together through trade policies on sustainable development, climate action, gender equality, indigenous rights and minimum work standards.
“We recognise that trade can be a force for good around the world, for example by raising environmental and labour standards, or enforcing commitments to reform fisheries subsidies.
“We expect CPTPP to make a meaningful contribution to progressive and inclusive trade in the future. And together with Canada and Chile we intend to ensure the promise of CPTPP is delivered on for workers, families, farmers, businesses and consumers.”
The signing of the CPTPP is another important step for the agreement, which will enter into force after it has been ratified by six countries.
 
The 11 countries involved in the CPTPP are New Zealand, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, and Viet Nam.
More information on the CPTPP, including the full legal text and a National Interest Analysis, is available at www.mfat.govt.nz/cptpp
Attached: CPTPP Ministerial Statement

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Royal New Zealand Police College Graduation Ceremony

Graduation ceremony for Wing 312, the Sir Mark Solomon Wing.
Gymnasium, Royal New Zealand Police College, Papakowhai, Porirua
 
Tēnā koutou katoa
Commissioner Mike Bush and members of the Police Executive;
General Manager Training Superintendent Scott Fraser and staff of the Royal New Zealand Police College;
Wing Patron, Sir Mark Solomon;
Distinguished guests;
family and friends; and, of course,
To the new constables of Wing 312;
Good Afternoon to you all.
I am delighted to be with you on this special day to personally welcome you all to the ranks of the New Zealand Police.
I know what a massive milestone this moment is in your lives; not just for you but all your loved ones here today.
I understand how important the training you receive here is to the careers you will lead and the public who you now serve.
Over the past 16 weeks, you’ve been put to the test and challenged in ways I bet you never imagined, both physically and mentally.
You have learned to think on your feet and how to respond in times of crisis.
And you’ve been steeped in the values of Police – Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Commitment to Māori and Treaty, Empathy, and Valuing Diversity.
Let these values guide you as you embark on your careers and let them lie at the heart of everything you do as you strive to make a difference and keep people safe.
You are privileged to be constables in the New Zealand Police, and we are privileged that you have chosen this path.
Very few people get to take the Constables Oath of Affirmation and to stand where you are today.
And there are few jobs that ask people to put themselves in the path of danger so the public may be safe.
There are few jobs where the public is more reliant on the courage, professionalism, leadership and skill that are the hallmark of those who police them.
Every day we hear tales of incredible bravery, dedication, commitment and the continuous striving for excellence from Police officers all across the country.
You are now part of an elite group of men and women in an elite organisation, and you should all be extremely proud.
Being a New Zealand Police Officer is not a role to be taken lightly.  It carries enormous responsibility.
It is vital to the smooth functioning of society that the public has trust and confidence in their police.
It is essential that the Police are respected and in the years ahead, it will be up to each and every one of you to maintain and build on that trust and confidence.
Let me tell you a true story of the work one of your fellow constables who perfectly demonstrated Prevention First and community policing in the 21st century.
Late last year a Detective in Wellington helped resolve a family matter involving a woman who was the victim of a serious sexual assault earlier in the year. The young woman refused to engage with support agencies after the assault, and began offending against family members.
The detective encouraged the young woman’s mother to formally report any future assaults.  The mother reported an assault to Police the very next day. 
 Rather than take a ‘throw the book at her approach’ to the young woman the Detective made the conscious decision to refer her to an Iwi Panel, which gave the young woman an opportunity to air her issues and obtain the support she needed in a safe Maori environment.
Subsequently the young woman has engaged positively in counselling and, to the delight of everyone involved, she has been granted a scholarship to attend WelTec this year to improve her education.  She is very grateful for the support she has received from Police.
This is a wonderful example of an officer using discretion by referring the young woman to the Iwi Panel and it demonstrates the positive impact Iwi Panels and alternative resolutions are having.
As an officer, you too, will have opportunities like this to make a positive difference to people’s lives.
As your Minister, you can rely on my support.
My priorities are that you have the tools and the support you need to keep our communities safe, prevent crime and victimisation and provide comfort and reassurance to New Zealanders.
I know that you will do that without fear or favour.
It’s also important to me that you are as safe as possible at work, and I know that’s also the top priority for the Commissioner and all those who will lead you in your new careers.
I also want to acknowledge the many family members who are here today.
They have already made an important contribution by supporting you through your decision to apply to the College and during your time here, and there love and support will be tremendously important as you progress through your careers.
I would also like to acknowledge all those who have played a role in your training here at the College for the excellent work they have done in preparing you for such a demanding and challenging vocation.
My thanks, too, to Sir Mark Solomon for the mentorship he has shown during your time here. I’m sure he has been a huge support and will continue to take a keen interest in your careers.
Constables of Wing 312, today is not an end – it is a beginning.
When you leave here, you will be embarking on a life of doing good deeds, of making a positive contribution to New Zealand, of helping those in need and protecting those who are vulnerable or in danger.
It is indeed a noble profession, and I wish you every success.