Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne says he is very pleased with the progress agencies have made in making it easier for New Zealanders to use government services online.

“Since 2012, when Better Public Services became a government priority, the Result 10 group of agencies have proactively used their mandate to radically change the way government delivers its services to its customers.

“The number of people completing their transactions online has increased from below 30 per cent in mid-2012 to nearly 60 per cent in 2016.

Associate Health Minister, Hon Peter Dunne will this week attend the 60th session on the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UNCND) in Vienna, Austria.

While there Mr Dunne will deliver a national statement on behalf of New Zealand and also undertake a number of bilateral meetings with counterparts from around the world.

MidCentral DHB physiotherapist Emma Lett is the second recipient of a new award for emerging health care leaders. Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne presented the award at MidCentral DHB this morning.

The Open for leadership awards are coordinated by the Health Quality & Safety Commission. They recognise and celebrate health professionals who demonstrate excellent practice, quality improvement and leadership skills. They are part of the Commission’s work to build capability and leadership in the health sector.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has written to medical and pharmaceutical organisations clarifying the range of appropriately manufactured cannabis-based products that could be prescribed in New Zealand.

A government-funded trial of an Air Desk that will centralise the handling of the country’s emergency air ambulance callouts is to commence today.

ACC Minister, Hon Michael Woodhouse and Associate Minister of Health, Hon Peter Dunne announced today that the Ministry of Health and ACC are each providing half of the $591,000 per annum funding for the two-year pilot. The trial funds an air desk with 15 hours a day, 7 days a week coverage to prove that the concept will meet its objectives.

Following his decision on 1 December last year to remove the requirement for Ministry of Health approval to prescribe Sativex for Multiple Sclerosis, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has today delegated decision-making for the prescribing of all cannabis-based products to the Ministry of Health.

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne today thanked Chief Executive & National Commander of the New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS) Paul Baxter for his 35 years work with New Zealand’s fire services.

Mr Baxter has been appointed Commissioner of Fire and Rescue New South Wales (NSW), Australia's largest urban fire and rescue service.

“Paul’s leadership and commitment has been critical in ensuring New Zealand’s fire services are ready for the significant transformation ahead.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has welcomed today’s Court of Appeal’s decision, dismissing the Problem Gambling Foundation’s challenge to the Ministry of Health’s procurement process for problem gambling services.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne is applauding a campaign by St John to reduce assaults on ambulance officers. The campaign has been launched because of the high and increasing number of cases of verbal and physical assaults on staff.

“Ambulance staff arrive at a scene to provide care, so it is distressing that they become a target for violence and abuse,” says Mr Dunne.

Associate Minister of Conservation, Peter Dunne, has released a public consultation document on the proposal to establish a game trophy levy under the Game Animal Council Act 2013. 

The proposed levy would apply to game trophies being exported from New Zealand and the revenue would be used to fund the operations of the Game Animal Council as per the Game Animal Council Act 2013. 

Internal Affairs Minister, Peter Dunne, has warmly thanked Lotto players for their generosity in helping to raise over $2.7 million for the special Lotto draw that the Minister initiated with Lotto NZ to raise funds for  Kaikoura/Hurunui and Marlborough regions following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 14 November 2016.

“Christmas is a time of giving, and it was encouraging to see so many New Zealanders support this draw for a truly special cause.

Internal Affairs Minister Hon Peter Dunne is delighted to announce that New Zealand is the new chair of the D5 group of nations and will host the next international leaders’ summit in New Zealand in early 2018. Mr Dunne has recently returned from the D5 Summit in South Korea.

D5 is a group of five nations – New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Korea, Estonia and Israel – considered amongst the most advanced in the provision of online government services.

Internal Affairs Minister Hon Peter Dunne today announced new appointments to the Library and Information Advisory Commission (LIAC) and to the Guardians Kaitiaki of the Alexander Turnbull Library (Guardians Kaitiaki).

“I am pleased to announce that I am appointing Matthew Oliver to LIAC for a three-year term. His digital expertise will bring to LIAC a strong understanding of current and emerging technology developments within the library and information sector”. 

A special Lotto draw will be held on Saturday 10 December to raise funds for the Kaikoura/Hurunui earthquake relief efforts, Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne announced today. The draw will include the Lotto family of games, Lotto, Powerball and Strike.

“Raising money for the community is the fundamental purpose of Lotto New Zealand, with over $3.5 million in community funding being raised each week.

Internal Affairs Minister Hon Peter Dunne is delighted to announce that Lotto New Zealand has received the highest possible accolade for its responsible gaming programme.

Lotto NZ has recently been awarded the grand prize in the World Lottery Association’s biennial Responsible Gaming Awards – the ‘Best Overall Responsible Gaming Programme’.

The World Lottery Association (WLA) sets the international benchmark for responsible gaming and presented this award at its annual World Lottery Summit, in Singapore earlier this month.

Legislation has been introduced to enable DHBs rather than local authorities to decide whether community water supplies are fluoridated, says Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne.

“While New Zealand’s oral health has improved dramatically over the last 30 years, we still have high rates of preventable tooth decay,” says Dr Coleman.

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne will represent New Zealand at the 3rd meeting of the D5 Digital Leaders’ Summit in Busan, South Korea 10-12 November 2016. The theme of the summit is “Leading Digital Innovation”, where New Zealand has a particularly good story to tell.