Thank you for taking the time to be here today. I said earlier this year that I view one of the most important roles that I have is to better make the case with the New Zealand public about why trade openness and trade agreements are vital for the success of New Zealand businesses and the prosperity of New Zealanders. Why trade is important to NZ Whilst we are too small to produce everything we need, in some areas we also produce far more than we need. We have to import medicines and medical technology, vehicles and agricultural machinery. We…

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced today that the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge will invest $826,000 in 10 ambitious new research projects to develop disruptive technology for industry. “The pace of technology change is accelerating so it’s important that our high-tech firms have access to the right know-how to build the sorts of innovative products that will help them to succeed in highly competitive global markets,” Mr Joyce says. “These new seed projects will create new knowledge through fundamental research that will support firms to contribute to the evolution of New Zealand’s growing high-tech economy.” Individual…

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has announced Michael Upton as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Kiribati. “New Zealand and Kiribati have a strong relationship and we work closely in areas of sustainable economic development, fisheries cooperation, water and sanitation, climate change, and maritime safety,” Mr McCully says. “The High Commissioner will be responsible for overseeing New Zealand’s aid programme in Kiribati, which will total around $17 million this year. “A major focus is working to address the impacts of overcrowding in South Tarawa, where about half of Kiribati’s population live, and improving waste management, water and sanitation. “Kiribati faces…

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has named new Consuls-General in Guangzhou, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Rachel Maidment will be New Zealand’s next Consul-General Guangzhou. Following a 10 year career as a diplomat, she established a leading Asia consultancy, Navigate, providing services to a wide range of government and private sector clients. “Guangzhou is one of China’s largest and most prosperous cities, and is now the centre for politics, business, innovation and culture in South China,” says Mr McCully. “As the third largest municipal economy in China after Beijing and Shanghai, the city is one of the main gateways for New…

Prime Minister John Key will travel to Laos next week for the East Asia Summit, before heading to the Federated States of Micronesia for the Pacific Islands Forum. “The East Asia Summit brings together leaders from across the Asia-Pacific to discuss ways to address important regional and international issues including maritime security and counter terrorism,” Mr Key says. “It also provides an excellent opportunity to meet with the leaders of some of our most important economic and security partners to further those ties.” In Vientiane Mr Key will meet with Prime Minister Thongloun of Laos. “Our two countries already share…

New regulations are being proposed to better enable space rocket launches from New Zealand by simplifying the process for dealing with jettisoned material deposited on the seabed in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today. “We need to update the environmental regulations in the EEZ to better accommodate the space industry. The existing regulations make provisions for activities like minerals exploration and seismic surveying but did not contemplate a space industry in New Zealand when they were written. The key change in the proposals announced today is that jettisoned material from space launch vehicles will…

Trade Minister Todd McClay has welcomed the progress made towards finalising a landmark trade and development agreement for the Pacific region. Senior representatives from 16 countries met today in Christchurch to negotiate the final terms of the ‘Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus’ (PACER Plus) agreement, which aims to create jobs, raise standards of living and encourage sustainable economic development in the Pacific region. As Chair of the latest round of negotiations, Mr McClay says he is delighted with the progress that has been made towards finalising PACER Plus. “This agreement is of significant importance to the economic prosperity…

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith has today released part one of the review into insolvency law, which discusses and sets out recommendations on the regulation of insolvency practitioners and measures to address the harms of voluntary liquidations. “I set up the Insolvency Working Group in November 2015 to conduct an in-depth look into a variety of insolvency law matters. “This is the first of two reports the working group will publish and it has identified a number of areas where our corporate insolvency laws could be improved. “The working group considers that regulation falls short of ensuring creditors…

Trade Minister Todd McClay will Chair a meeting of Trade Ministers and senior representatives from 16 countries in Christchurch on Friday 26 August to negotiate the final terms of a trade and development deal for the Pacific region, called the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus). “This agreement is of significant importance to the economic integration and prosperity of the region,” says Mr McClay. The agreement aims to open up opportunities for both New Zealand and Pacific Island countries to trade in a more consistent and transparent way. “It recognises the unique challenges that Pacific island countries…

Got a Trade Week 2016 is being launched today by Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Louise Upston. The week-long event is part of the Got a Trade? Got it Made! campaign which aims to raise awareness of on-the-job training and career opportunities in New Zealand’s trades and service industries. “It’s important that young people see the trades as a first choice when planning their careers. People like parents, teachers and careers advisors should also encourage jobs, especially to Māori, pacific people, and women who are all under-represented in trades.” Ms Upston said. “Strong employment growth is forecast…

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew is welcoming the Food Safety Law Reform Bill having passed its first reading in Parliament last night, with unanimous support. The Bill is the final step in implementing the Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) Inquiry recommendations, in particular those which require legislative change. “This Bill is an important part of putting the false Botulism scare behind us. It illustrates the Government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and suitability of food, which is vitally important for the health of consumers – both in New Zealand and overseas – and our international trade reputation,” says Mrs Goodhew. “Food…