2:09 PM |
| 09 October 2009 Watch my latest video diary here. The Prime Minister amid the devastation at Lalomanu following the tsunami in Samoa (see article below) See more photos from the PM's visit here. RESPONDING TO THE TSUNAMI I was in Samoa on Saturday to inspect the tsunami damage, see how we can help, and express the condolences of all New Zealanders. The southern part of Upolu has been devastated. I went back to Poutasi village - where we visited in July - which is barely recognisable. All the wooden buildings have been flattened and many people were lost to the waves. Fortunately, most of Samoa escaped the destruction, and recovery efforts are in full swing. We should be really proud of the work our defence force, police, health workers, and volunteers are doing. We have about 160 people on the ground including doctors and nurses, pilots, victim identification teams, counsellors, and engineers. Many of them had been working for 20 hours straight when I met them. The Government has provided emergency funds and I want to thank those of you who have donated to tsunami relief charities. Cabinet is looking at how we can help the recovery in the longer term. Meanwhile, our hearts go out to the Samoan people, their relatives here, and the families of the seven New Zealanders who died. WORKING ON THE WORLD STAGE We had a really successful visit to New York. I spoke to the United Nations General Assembly and met a number of world leaders, including a couple of chats with President Barack Obama. There was a lot of interest in our push for a Global Alliance on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Tim Groser and Murray McCully are in Washington DC following up on this and other issues at the third NZ-US Partnership Forum. See photos from my New York visit here. IMPROVING ELECTORAL LAW In our first 100 days, we delivered on our election promise to repeal the Electoral Finance Act. Now we're working towards a fair, enduring, and workable framework for electoral finance. We've released a proposal document and we're seeking your input. Consultation closes on 30 October. Get more details here. OUT AND ABOUT On Wednesday I met the locals in the Hawera Community Centre for the Big Brothers/ Big Sisters programme, and visited Pariroa Pa to commemorate its 115th anniversary. Yesterday I launched Global Entrepreneurship Week at Auckland University and enjoyed the NZ Music Awards. And today I'm in Hawke's Bay visiting businesses, meeting iwi, and opening the new air ambulance service. Tomorrow morning I'll be in Takapuna as part of the march past and review to celebrate the exhibition "Passchendaele - the Belgians have not forgotten", and in the afternoon I'll be at the Diwali Festival of Lights at Viaduct Basin. On Sunday afternoon I'll be opening the new St John ambulance station in Whenuapai. TACKLING P P, or methamphetamine, is wrecking lives, wrecking families, and fuelling crime. It's hugely damaging to those who use it and to the people who care about them. It comes hand in hand with violence, and allows gangs and organised crime to flourish. National will use every tool we have to fight it. That's why, in a speech yesterday, I announced our action plan to tackle P. It includes: Restricting access to precursor chemicals - Making it harder for people to manufacture P. This includes making pseudoephedrine a prescription-only drug. Up to 80% of the cold and flu medications sold in pharmacies use phenylephrine, a safe and effective alternative to pseudoephedrine. Cracking down on P dealers - Setting up dedicated anti-drug taskforces at the border, and giving police more powers to intercept gang communications, search for evidence, take drug money from criminals and use this to fund anti-P initiatives. Increasing addiction services - Providing $22 million over the next three years for extra P treatment. We will make treatment available to more than 3000 extra patients, instruct frontline government staff to refer P users to treatment, and give families the power to compel addicts to go into compulsory treatment. Supporting families and communities - Working with voluntary organisations, promoting new drug guidelines for schools, and directing community programmes to focus on tackling P. Providing leadership and accountability - Making government chief executives accountable for getting results. Find out more about our action plan here. Best wishes
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