21 Jul 2025
1 year ago
2113 views
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has outlined clear expectations for Pharmac to enhance innovation and optimize services for better healthcare delivery to New Zealanders. Pharmac has made improvements in consultation processes, funding criteria adjustments, and appointed new leadership to drive positive change. The focus is on modernizing Pharmac, adopting AI technologies, engaging stakeholders proactively, and increasing transparency to ensure timely access to medicines and medical devices for all Kiwis.
16 Jul 2025
1 year ago
2270 views
Regulation Minister David Seymour and Health Minister Simeon Brown welcome ANZCA and RANZCO medical conferences coming to New Zealand in 2026, with 3300 delegates expected, generating millions in economic activity. ANZCA will bring 1500 delegates, injecting over $3 million, while RANZCO's congress will host 1800 delegates, contributing more than $2 million. The Government's move to end the prohibition on advertising medicines at conferences aims to boost the economy, provide knowledge to medical professionals, and enhance access to healthcare innovations.
09 Jul 2025
1 year ago
3292 views
Associate Health Minister David Seymour welcomes Pharmac’s decision to improve access to asthma inhalers and long-acting contraceptives from 1 August 2025. “For the first time, Pharmac has its own Minister. Last year I outlined in my letter of expectations that Pharmac should have appropriate processes for ensuring that people, along with their carers and family, can participate in and provide input into decision-making processes around medicines – this is committed to in the Act-National Coalition Agreement,” Mr Seymour says.
08 Jul 2025
1 year ago
3051 views
Regulation Minister David Seymour is welcoming BusinessNZ’s strong support for the Regulatory Standards Bill as a means to deal with red tape and regulation. “After all the misinformed opposition we’ve heard, the people who get up in the morning to make an honest buck and deliver goods and services to New Zealanders want red tape and regulation dealt to and believe this Bill will help them do that. “Submitting on the Bill at select committee today, BusinessNZ said it was an important step towards improving the quality of regulation and reducing the compliance burden on businesses by putting more scrutiny on politicians when law is made.
06 Jul 2025
1 year ago
2124 views
The Acting Prime Minister has extended warm congratulations to Hugh Jackson on being crowned the 2025 FMG Young Farmer of the Year. “Last night I was lucky enough to attend the Young Farmer of the Year grand final in Invercargill. It was a brilliant event, celebrating the future of farming and showcasing their expertise, leadership, and passion for agriculture,” says Mr Seymour.
02 Jul 2025
1 year ago
2836 views
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is pleased to see the Healthy School Lunch Programme Term 3 menu has received positive feedback from three quarters of students, and complaints have fallen by 92 per cent, while at the same time taxpayers are saving over $130 million. “The menu for Term 3 is being tested with students across the lower North Island. The result is 73 per cent positive feedback.
02 Jul 2025
1 year ago
3536 views
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is pleased to see the Healthy School Lunch Programme Term 3 menu has received positive feedback from three quarters of students, and complaints have fallen by 92 per cent, while at the same time taxpayers are saving over $130 million. “The menu for Term 3 is being tested with students across the lower North Island. The result is 73 per cent positive feedback.
01 Jul 2025
1 year ago
3604 views
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has today announced that Pharmac have created their comprehensive list of medical devices which are used in public hospitals, to improve the way they manage medical devices. “Almost everyone diagnosed or treated at a public hospital relies on medical devices for their care. These can range from bandages and cotton swabs to pacemakers, hip replacements, hospital beds, and robotic surgery machines,” Mr Seymour says.
01 Jul 2025
1 year ago
2154 views
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has empowered Pharmac and Medsafe to explore the utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up their processes. “Faster access to medicines has always been a priority of mine. For many New Zealanders, pharmaceuticals are life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely,” Mr Seymour says.
24 Jun 2025
1 year ago
3371 views
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour welcomes the passing of first reading for a Bill to make it easier for New Zealand businesses to receive new investment, grow and pay higher wages. The Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament today. “New Zealand has been turning away opportunities for growth for too long.
23 Jun 2025
1 year ago
3460 views
Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged to see overseas investment decisions being made twice as fast following his Ministerial directive letter (the letter) to Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). “Last year I issued a Ministerial directive letter setting out my expectations for faster consent processing timeframes under the Overseas Investment Act (the Act),” Mr Seymour says. “The letter set my expectation that LINZ, the regulator for the Act, will process 80 per cent of consent applications in half the statutory timeframes for decisions.
21 Jun 2025
1 year ago
2287 views
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that red tape is giving Kiwis serious headaches, and the Red Tape Tipline has received over 750 submissions. “A submitter to the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline has complained that the threshold for probate has not kept up with inflation. This means that more Kiwis have to go through the tedious legal process that is probate, while they are mourning,” Mr Seymour says.
19 Jun 2025
1 year ago
2432 views
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Ministry of Education are now consulting on changing, merging, or removing approximately three-quarters of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) licensing criteria. “Earlier this year the ECE Sector Review instigated 15 changes to modernise and simplify regulations,” Mr Seymour says. “The changes to the ECE regulations show the power of a sector review.
18 Jun 2025
1 year ago
2102 views
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says the Government is delivering on its promise to cut red tape and give Kiwis greater access to more treatments, starting with melatonin and medicinal psilocybin. “Many New Zealanders have asked me why people can buy melatonin overseas but they can’t buy it from their local pharmacy. Medsafe has assessed this and decided there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be available on pharmacy shelves right here at home,” says Mr Seymour.
18 Jun 2025
1 year ago
2207 views
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour welcomes the introduction of legislation to make it easier for New Zealand businesses to receive new investment, grow and pay higher wages. The Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Bill has been introduced to the House. “New Zealand has been turning away opportunities for growth for too long.