Weekly Select Committee News - 6 October
SELECT COMMITTEE BUSINESS
From 29 September to 6 October
2000
Committee meetings
There were 19 committee
meetings, all in the parliamentary complex.
Reports presented
Commerce
Business Law Reform Bill
(319-2)
Bills referred to select committees
The Crimes
Amendment Bill was referred to the Law and Order Committee
with a report due by 13 November 2000.
Committee
notes
(for further information on an item, please contact
the committee staff noted in brackets)
Commerce (Alan
Witcombe, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)
On Monday, 2
October 2000 the Commerce Committee presented its report on
the Business Law Reform Bill.
The bill contains various amendments to a number of business law statutes and as referred was divided into nine separate parts. Most of the amendments contained in the bill are based upon suggestions from business law practitioners, enforcement agencies, and the wider business community. The bill also includes still outstanding recommendations of the Company Law Monitoring Group.
The committee recommended a number of changes to the bill, including:
subjecting certain reports and communications of liquidators and receivers to absolute privilege in the context of their duty to report on suspected offences
addition of a substantial new part relating to the Personal Property Securities Act 1999
addition of a new part relating to the Receiverships Act 1993
widening the pool of potential candidates for membership of the Securities Commission
a threshold test for transfer of members or beneficiaries under the Superannuation Schemes Act 1989
removal of one clause with controversial policy content
a number of minor or technical amendments
addition of two new schedules replacing the existing schedules to the Personal Property Securities Act 1999 incorporating amended definitions.
At its meeting this week the committee heard evidence on the Commerce Amendment Bill and Supplementary Order No 37. Organisations submitting included Russell McVeagh, Chapman Tripp, the Retail Merchants Association and the Commerce Commission. Next week the committee will continue its hearings on the bill and supplementary order paper with a three-hour meeting scheduled for Thursday morning, 12 October from 10.00 am.
Finance and Expenditure (Graham
Hill, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met on 4
October to hear evidence from the Governor of the Reserve
Bank on the August Monetary Policy Statement and consider
further the Public Audit bill. The Parliamentary
Under-Secretary to the Minister for Revenue also gave
evidence on the Government's progress in implementing
recommendations from the previous Finance and Expenditure
Committee's inquiry into the powers and operations of the
Inland Revenue Department. At its next meeting on 11
October the committee will hear evidence on the Taxpayers'
Charter Bill.
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David
Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met
twice this week to hear submissions on the Closer Economic
Partnership agreement with Singapore. The committee will be
considering this treaty as its sole item of business at its
next meeting on 12 October.
Government Administration
(Fiona McLean, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee
has resolved to call for public submissions on the Films,
Videos, and Publications Classification (Prohibition of
Child Pornography) Amendment Bill. The bill is intended to
restore the fullest protection for children in New Zealand’s
censorship legislation. The bill proposes to amend the
meaning of “objectionable” in section 3 of the Films,
Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, in
response to the December 1999 decision of the Court of
Appeal in Moonen v Film and Literature Board of Review.
This amendment would mean that, where children are involved,
and the Classification Office and the Film and Literature
Board of Review on the facts judge the material to be
pornographic, no further inquiry ought to be called for
under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. The effect
of the amendment is that child pornography will again
constitute an exception to freedoms under the Bill of Rights
and be subject to a total, and effective, ban.
The closing date for submissions on the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Prohibition of Child Pornography) Amendment Bill is 15 November 2000. Please send 20 copies of your submission to Fiona McLean, Clerk of the Government Administration Committee, Select Committee Office, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.
The committee commenced consideration of the inquiry into New Zealand’s adoption laws and continued its consideration of the Casino Control (Poll Demand) Amendment Bill.
Health (Nick Aldous,
SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee is hearing
evidence on the New Zealand Public Health and Disability
Bill. The bill makes significant structural changes to the
public health system. The next public hearing is scheduled
for Wednesday, 11 October, from 10.00 am at Parliament
House.
Justice and Electoral (Wendy Proffitt,
SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)
This week the committee
considered the Matrimonial Property Amendment Bill and
Supplementary Order Paper No 25, and related petitions. It
also considered the Inquiry into the 1999 General Election.
The committee commenced consideration of the 1999/2000
financial reviews.
Next week the committee will continue to consider the Matrimonial Property Amendment Bill, SOP 25 and related petitions. It will also consider the De Facto Relationships (Property) Bill. In addition, the committee will consider the 1999/2000 financial reviews, the Inquiry into the 1999 General Election and the Local Elections (Single Transferable Vote Option) Bill.
Law and Order
(Wendy Proffitt, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)
The Crimes
Amendment Bill was referred to the committee on 3 October
2000 with a report back date of 13 November 2000. The
purpose of the bill is to bring New Zealand legislation into
full compliance with ILO Convention 182 Concerning the Worst
Forms of Child Labour. The bill will amend the Crimes Act
1961 by:
creating a new domestic offence of
engaging in sexual activity with a prostitute under the age
of 18 years
amending section 149 of the Act
(relating to procuring for prostitution) to make it gender
neutral and broaden the type of sexual acts to which it
applies
amending section 98 of the Act to
provide a more general ban on debt-bondage and
serfdom.
The closing date for submissions is 18 October 2000. Those wishing to appear before the committee to speak to their submissions are asked to contact the Clerk of the Committee prior to sending their submissions, as hearings will be held on Thursday, 19 October 2000.
This week the committee also considered the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 6) and the Arms Amendment Bill (No 2), and three petitions.
Next week the committee will commence hearing submissions on the Habeas Corpus Bill. It will also further consider the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 6) and the Arms Amendment Bill (No 2).
MMP Review (Louise Sparrer,
SC-MMP@parliament.govt.nz)
Hearing of evidence on MMP
continues with two meetings next week. The meetings will
take place in G.006 from 8.00 am. Those appearing are
individuals representing a wide range of views on MMP. The
committee travels to Dunedin and Christchurch on 16 October
to hear further evidence.
Primary Production (Bob Bunch,
SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee heard evidence on
the Foreign Fishing Crew Wages and Repatriation Bond Bill at
its meeting on Thursday, 5 October 2000. The bill is a
member's bill in the name of Graham Kelly MP. Evidence was
heard from the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council, Ngai
Tahu Fisheries, the New Zealand Fishing Vessel Owner's
Association, and Te Ohu Kai Moana. The committee also
considered its inquiry into the sale of Property Services
Division of Terralink New Zealand Limited.
The committee will commence hearing evidence on Thursday, 12 October, on the inquiry into the sale of Property Services Division of Terralink New Zealand Limited. The committee will also consider its inquiry into organic agriculture in New Zealand
Regulations Review (Shelley Banks,
SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz )
The committee has called for
public submissions on an inquiry into regulation-making
powers that authorise international treaties to override any
provisions of New Zealand enactments. The closing date for
submissions is 17 November 2000. The terms of reference of
the inquiry are, to examine:
the circumstances in which regulation-making powers that authorise international treaties to override any provisions of New Zealand enactments have been used
alternative means of implementing international treaties into New Zealand law by regulations that do not authorise the provisions of a treaty to override any provisions of New Zealand enactments
whether it is appropriate to enact regulation-making powers to implement international treaties into New Zealand law, notwithstanding the provisions of any other enactment
general principles for identifying if and when it is appropriate to enact regulation-making powers that authorise international treaties to override any provisions of New Zealand enactments
what limits should be imposed on prescribing regulations to implement international treaties by overriding any provisions of New Zealand enactments.
Social Services (Tim Cooper,
SC-SS@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee received a
briefing from the Ministry of Youth Affairs on New Zealand's
conformity to the United Nations Convention of the Rights of
the Child (UNCROC). The ministry expanded on the parts of
the convention that related particularly to family law
legislation. The committee also finished hearing evidence
on the Student Loan Scheme Amendment Bill. Next week the
committee will make progress on three bills currently before
it:
The Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Amendment
Bill
The Social Security Amendment Bill
The Student
Loan Scheme Amendment Bill
The committee will also begin to consider the financial review of the Ministry of Social Policy.
Transport and Industrial Relations (Lyn Main,
SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)
On Wednesday 4 October the
committee heard evidence from Robert Shaw, a chief
petitioner of one of three petitions before the committee
urging the construction of the Transmission Gully road. The
committee plans to hear further evidence on these petitions
on Wednesday 11 October.
Closing dates for submissions on
bills
Committees are receiving submissions on the
following items with the closing date
shown:
Commerce
Chartered Professional Engineers of New
Zealand Bill (27 October 2000)
Education and
Science
Apprenticeship Training Bill (24 October
2000)
Finance and Expenditure
Inquiry into the
preparation of the 2001 Budget Policy Statement (3 November
2000)
Government Administration
Films, Videos, and
Publications Classification (Prohibition of Child
Pornography) Amendment Bill (15 November
2000)
Health
Inquiry into health strategies relating to
cannabis use (7 February 2001)
Law and Order
Crimes
Amendment Bill (18 October 2000)
Maori Affairs
Pouakani
Claims Settlement Bill (6 October)
Regulations
Review
Inquiry into regulation-making powers that
authorise international treaties to override any provisions
of New Zealand enactments (17 November 2000)
Social
Services
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families
Amendment Bill (No 3) (20 October 2000)
Social Security
Amendment Bill (13 October 2000)
General
You can find further information about select committees on our website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz. If you require additional information or have any feedback on the contents, please contact:
Carol Rankin
Senior Parliamentary
Officer
at carol.rankin@parliament.govt.nz
Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 6 October 2000