19 March 2009 - Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu will launch a new website on Saturday at the Otara markets aimed at reducing the cost of sending money from New Zealand to the Pacific.

19 March 2009 - Associate Minister of Social Development and Employment, Tariana Turia, has today welcomed the invitation from the Principal's Federation national president, Ernie Buutveld, that "in this economic crisis, we need to be careful and listen to the experts".

19 March 2009 - The government has today confirmed State Highway 1 from Puhoi to Wellsford as one of the initial Roads of National Significance.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce says this part of State Highway 1 is a key strategic transport corridor for Auckland and Northland.

19 March 2009 - The government has today confirmed the Tauranga Eastern Corridor as one of the initial Roads of National Significance.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce says this corridor is a key strategic transport corridor.

19 March 2009 - New Zealand's next Ambassador to Russia will be career diplomat Ian Hill, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced today.

Mr Hill will also be accredited to Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

19 March 2009 - John Key's call for higher income earners to give their April 1 tax cuts to charity is an admission that National's tax package is not fair to the lower paid and is bad economics, Labour Leader Phil Goff said today.

19 March 2009 - The government has today announced the first seven Roads of National Significance, which have been singled out as essential routes that require priority treatment.

They are from north to south:

19 March 2009 - Tourists, adventurers and the residents of South Westland will all benefit from the new $270,000 Franz Josef police station, which was opened by Police Minister Judith Collins today.

19 March 2008 - Education Minister Anne Tolley marked the fruition of 25 years' work today when she launched the Te Reo Curriculum Guidelines at Taurua Marae in Rotorua.

19 March 2009 - New geothermal plants, increased levels of wind generation, and a return to normal hydro lake levels has seen a big jump in renewable electricity generation.