Justice Minister Simon Power left today to attend the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meeting in Sydney.

Family First NZ says that the price of budget shopping for a family has increased well above the food price index of 3.3% and could be closer to 12%.

Associate Minister of Health, Tariana Turia, has expressed her great sadness at the tragic loss of Sir Don Beaven, Emeritus Professor of the Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Canterbury.

Results from a report examining the lifestyles of Maori in 150 Nelson and Marlborough households have shocked Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia and local member Rahui Katene.

Recently, the National Government decided to take up the previous Labour administration's Search and Surveillance Bill. This bill would effectively make George Orwell's 'Big Brother' character blush.

Jigsaw Family Services 2009 ConferenceHon Tariana Turia,Associate Minister of Social Development and EmploymentWednesday 4 November 2009(delivered on behalf of the Minister by Ann Dysart)

Associate Minister of Health, Hon Tariana Turia, is excited about the proposed next steps in implementing the Government's new approach to primary health care.

Tai Tonga MP Rahui Katene has commended the initiative of Te Whare Oki Oki Trust, in seeking to support people who are struggling with the impact of alcohol abuse.

New Zealand's Acting Head of Mission in Fiji, Todd Cleaver, was formally declared Persona Non Grata by the interim regime early this afternoon and told to leave Fiji, Foreign Minister Murray McCully confirmed today.

The government has finalised a consultation process it will be following for the review of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act.

The release of Crown Accounts show ACC investment returns in the last three months are $700 million higher than forecast, says Labour's ACC spokesperson David Parker."This is further proof of the Government's manufactured ACC crisis.

Making sense of government data is set to become easier, thanks to a new web-based pilot project launched today, says Internal Affairs Minister Nathan Guy.

Nine primary health care provider groups have been chosen to move through to the next stage of development in implementing the Government's better, sooner, more convenient primary health care says Health Minister Tony Ryall.

The Government has finally acknowledged that there are palm kernel biosecurity risks, including from foot and mouth disease, following Green Party questioning and pressure in past months.

Tourism operators in central Otago should be very concerned at the possibility of the Crown Range Road being closed for long periods next winter because of the Government's cuts to local road maintenance funding, Labour's Transport spokesperson Darren Hughes said

Speech by Tim Groser, 4 Nov 2009:

Figures out today showing that jobs and hours continue to decrease means more hard times for workers facing redundancy, says Darien Fenton, Labour's Associate Labour spokesperson.

The Government's $175 million operating deficit for the first three months of the financial year would be far worse if Super Fund and ACC investments had not made gains, says Labour Finance spokesperson David Cunliffe.

The Government's financial statements for the three months to September 30 confirm that it will take time for the economic recovery to flow through to the Crown's revenue, Finance Minister Bill English says.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce today opened the 2009 Korea Australia New Zealand (KANZ) Broadband Summit: Digital Futures in Auckland.