Prime Minister's statement Parliament
Prime Minister Helen Clark says economic success is an important part of New Zealanders' growing sense of confidence. In her speech to Parliament this week outlining the government's intentions for the year, Helen Clark said New Zealand last year topped the OECD's annual growth rate of 4.4 per cent; there'd been spectacular progress in lowering unemployment, and productivity was now growing. This year will see major improvements to the level of family income assistance and steps will to lower the waiting times for major joint surgery, such as hips and knees. Helen Clark she regrets the ill will shown by a bad mannered, noisy minority at Waitangi last week but nothing will dissuade the government from building a New Zealand which offers equal opportunity, a fair go, and security for all our people. "We want to unite, not divide. We want New Zealanders to take pride in all our country's achievements - economic, social, and creative," says Helen Clark.

Challenge of foreshore is to avoid extremes The challenge for New Zealand in negotiating a way through the foreshore and seabed issue is to avoid the extremes of right and left and focus on a policy to take the country forward, says Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen. The Court of Appeal judgment, which started the process, did not find that Māori owned the foreshore and seabed, only that Māori indigenous rights had not been extinguished. Although these rights do not involve 'ownership' as such, they are property rights nevertheless and to confiscate them is theft, says Michael Cullen. "Hence the decision to create a legislative framework which guarantees traditional rights of public access, reinforces the Crown's role to regulate the foreshore and seabed on behalf of all future generations, acknowledges and protects Māori customary interests and provides certainty." "We are confident that there is a middle ground, an equilibrium where the reasonable expectations of all can be accommodated," says Michael Cullen.

New Zealand tops in patient healthcare
A Commonwealth Fund survey released this week ranks New Zealand top overall of five countries in terms of patient assessment of the quality of healthcare. Health Minister Annette King says the Government takes considerable satisfaction from the independent survey in the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Patients were surveyed across measures such as patient safety, patient-centredness, timeliness, efficiency, effectiveness and equity. As well as coming out top overall, New Zealand is top in the areas of patient-centredness and timeliness, but does not do as well in terms of equity. Annette King believes we are already doing better in this area because of the targeted funding provided under Primary Health Care Strategy for high-risk, low socio-economic areas. Report available at: www.cmwf.org/programs/international/

Labour market consolidates
An increase in full-time employment, a decrease in part-time employment and an increase in the total number of hours worked has seen the labour market consolidate. Statistics New Zealand's Household Labour Force Survey for the December 2003 quarter shows the official unemployment rate now stands at 4.6 percent (up 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter, but down 0.3 percentage points for the year). Full-time employment grew by 0.5 percent over the quarter, while part-time employment fell by 1.4 percent. Employment Minister Steve Maharey says demand for labour remains very strong, as reflected in measures of skill and labour shortages. This reinforces the importance of the government's industry training strategy to upskill workers for today's labour market. Overall we are still expecting a solid year for employment, with job growth continuing through to mid year and a possible softening towards the end of 2004, says Steve Maharey.

Small Business Days are launched
Small Business Day New Zealand has kicked off a series of 24 Small Business Day events around the country. Minister for Small Business John Tamihere says the Small Business Days will build existing relationships and establish new ones between government and the small business sector. He wants business heroes to be applauded in the same way as sports heroes. Businesses participating in Small Business Days can book in for a free 15-minute question and answer session with experienced business people or bring along their new idea or current business challenge and receive advice from the best in the business. Further information on the Small Business Days series at www.smallbusiness.med.govt.nz

Acknowledgement of early Chinese New Zealanders
Initiatives to raise awareness of the early Chinese community in New Zealand were announced this week. These follow the government apology in 2002 to those Chinese and their descendants who faced statutory discrimination in New Zealand, particularly through the infamous Poll Tax. Targeted at Chinese alone, this imposed considerable hardship on earlier generations of Chinese settlers to New Zealand, says Prime Minister Helen Clark. The measures announced include a $5m seeding grant for a government-administered community trust to fund projects to boost the study of Chinese New Zealand history, encourage cultural and language maintenance, promote greater public awareness of ethnic diversity, and support projects strengthening the unique identity of Chinese New Zealanders.