Key Notes: Celebrating The Hobbit
30 November 2012

It was great to be with Bronagh at the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. There were so many excited fans lining Courtenay Place. They'd waited for hours in the sun dressed as elves, hobbits, and dwarves, and they made the day very special.

I'm proud our Government took action to make sure The Hobbit films were made here. They created 3000 jobs and poured millions of dollars into our regions. Learn more.

The films showcase New Zealand's stunning landscapes, which will be seen by millions of people around the world. This is great advertising for our tourism industry.

Sir Peter Jackson and his team are some of the best filmmakers in the world - congratulations to all who were involved.

Visiting Cambodia and Myanmar

Last weekend I returned from the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, and an official visit to Myanmar. In Cambodia I joined President Obama and other leaders to advance the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. Next month, New Zealand is hosting round 15 of the TPP negotiations in Auckland.

I also met leaders to start work on the new 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Both agreements could massively expand our export markets.

From Cambodia I went to Myanmar, becoming the first New Zealand Prime Minister to visit that country. I met President Thein Sein, who is visiting New Zealand next month, and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. For many years Aung San Suu Kyi made great personal sacrifices to help bring democratic reform to Myanmar.

In a sobering visit, I also went to Taukkyan War Cemetery to honour Kiwi soldiers who died in World War II.

Delivering progress in Health

93 per cent of 2-year-olds are fully immunised

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Progress on new national health targets

Government measures continue to put pressure on the 'P' trade

1000 more engineering places at universities and polytechs next year

New Zealand to host the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship

From my diary

Yesterday I joined the science community to celebrate the Prime Minister's Science Prizes, and then travelled to Hobbiton, near Matamata, where I opened the Green Dragon Pub. Today I'm in Darfield opening a $500 million milk processing plant for Fonterra. Tomorrow I'm going to the Waikato to open the Te Rapa bypass, which is part of the SH1 Waikato Expressway - one of the Government's seven Roads of National Significance.

Regards,

John Key
Prime Minister
www. johnkey. co. nz

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

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