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Select Committee Business This Week - 2 March

SELECT COMMITTEE BUSINESS
From 23 February to 2 March 2001
Committee meetings
There were 24 committee meetings, all in the parliamentary complex. Some of these were subcommittee meetings.

Reports presented (7)

Primary Production
- 1999/2000 financial review of Crown Forestry Management Limited
- 1999/2000 financial review of Animal Control Products Limited
- 1999/2000 financial review of Landcorp Limited

Justice and Electoral
- 1999/2000 financial review of the Legal Services Board

Social Services
- Briefing from the Department of Labour concerning employment matters

Government Administration
- 1999/2000 financial review of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Law and Order
- Petition 1999/151 of Kevin James Peach and 2189 others


Bills referred to select committees
The Fisheries (Remedial Issues) Amendment Bill was referred to the Primary Production Committee with a report due by 1 May 2001.

The Civil Aviation Amendment Bill (No 2) was referred to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee with a report due by 27 April 2001.

Committee notes
(for further information on an item, please contact the committee staff noted in italics)

Commerce (Alan Witcombe, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met twice this week. On Tuesday it continued hearings of evidence on the Electricity Industry Bill. Further hearings have been scheduled for Tuesday, 13 March from 3.15 pm, Parliament House. Advance notice of the submitters being heard will be sent to electronic news media.

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On Thursday the committee heard evidence from the three State-owned power generators, Mighty River Power Limited, Meridian Energy Limited and Genesis Power Limited. The committee's reports on these companies are due mid April. These hearings were part of the committee's 1999/2000 financial review examination of State enterprises referred to it by the Finance and Expenditure Committee. The next round of financial review hearings takes place on Thursday,15 March, when the committee will hear evidence from Solid Energy, Radio New Zealand and New Zealand On Air.

Education and Science (Louise Gardiner, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee heard evidence on the 1999/2000 financial reviews of Industrial Research Limited and the New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research Limited. The committee is not meeting during the adjournment.

Finance and Expenditure (SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)
Next Wednesday the committee will hear evidence on the 1999/2000 financial review of the Public Trust Office.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met this week to continue hearing submissions on its inquiry into New Zealand's economic and trade relationship with Australia. Submitters included Professor Catley of Otago University, the Television Broadcasters' Council, the Seafarers' Union and the Green Party. Further submissions are likely to be scheduled on 22 March. The committee also gave further consideration to the Volunteers Employment Protection Amendment Bill and the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Extension Bill.

Government Administration (Louise Sparrer, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee concluded its consideration and reported on the 1999/2000 financial review of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The issues considered by the committee centre on the effects of the additional funding the orchestra received through the Government’s May 2000 Cultural Recovery Package.

Hearing of evidence on the committee’s inquiry into New Zealand’s adoption laws continued this week. The committee is to hold further hearings in Christchurch on 15 March and in Auckland on 16 March.

Health (Kia Paranihi, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee heard evidence from Hon Dr Nick Smith and Dr Monty Hornbeck this week on Dr Smith's petition relating to the New Zealand registration of foreign-trained health professionals. Dr Hornbeck gave evidence on his experiences in attempting to become a registered practitioner in dermatology. The Medical Council also presented evidence on the petition.

Next week on Wednesday, 7 March, the committee will hear from Wanganui District Health Board, Mid Central Health, Northland District Health Board and Lakeland Health within its 1999/2000 financial reviews. These hearings will take place at Parliament House in Wellington.

Justice and Electoral (Wendy Proffitt, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)
This week the committee heard the first submissions on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Maori Constituency Empowering) Bill. Next week the committee is travelling to Whakatane to hear submissions on the bill on Wednesday, 7 March, and to Auckland on Thursday, 8 March. The committee will also hear the first submissions on the Local Electoral Bill in Auckland on 8 March.

This week the committee presented its report on the 1999/2000 financial review of the Legal Services Board, which has now been replaced by the Legal Services Agency

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met on Thursday, 1 March to consider: the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 6) and Supplementary Order Paper No 85; the Habeas Corpus Bill; the Degrees of Murder Bill; and the petition of Kevin James Peach and 2189 others. The committee presented its report on the petition on Friday 2 March. The committee is not meeting next week.

Local Government and Environment (David Bagnall, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee met on Wednesday to consider the Resource Management Amendment Bill. Next week the committee will look at the Local Government (Elected Member Remuneration and Trading Enterprises) Amendment Bill, and will hear evidence on the bill from Local Government New Zealand. The Hawke's Bay Endowment Land Empowering Bill will also be considered. The committee will then commence its financial review of the Environmental Risk Management Authority and there will be further consideration of the petition of Rosemary Godwin relating to asbestos contamination in East Tamaki.

On Wednesday, 14 March the committee will travel to Napier to hear evidence in public on the Hawke's Bay Endowment Land Empowering Bill.

People or organisations wishing to make submissions on the Inquiry into the role of local government in meeting New Zealand's climate change target should do so by 15 March 2001. The committee's interim report on the inquiry is available at the following website address: http://www.gp.co.nz/wooc/whatsnew/ipapers.html.

Maori Affairs (Marcus Ganley, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)
This week the committee received its quarterly briefing from the Minister of Maori Affairs, Hon Parekura Horomia. The Minister also formally introduced the new Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, Leith Comer, to the committee. Following this briefing the committee heard evidence from the Department of Conservation, the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Fisheries on the health of Lake Omapere. Following this briefing the committee formally resolved to initiate an inquiry into the possible collapse of Lake Omapere.

Next week the committee will meet in Dunedin, at the Southern Cross Hotel, to hear evidence on the Tutae-ka-Wetoweto Forest Bill.

MMP Review (Louise Sparrer, SC-MMP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee is now in its consideration stage of the review. It will not meet in the March adjournment. The next meeting will be 14 March.

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)
The committee continued its scrutiny of AgriQualitiy New Zealand Limited, a State Enterprise, on Thursday 1 March, by conducting hearings on its 1999/2000 financial review. Later the committee further considered its two fisheries bills (Foreign Fishing Crew Wages and Repatriation Bond and Fisheries (Remedial Issues) Amendment Bills) and its inquiries into organic agriculture in New Zealand and sustainable forestry management. The subcommittee on organic agriculture in New Zealand also met this week on Tuesday, 27 February.

Both the committee and the subcommittee will meet next week. The committee will conduct site visits and hear evidence in Canterbury (8 March) and Southland (9 March) on its inquiry into sustainable forestry management while the organics subcommittee will also meet in Christchurch on Wednesday night, 7 March.

The deadline for submissions on the Fisheries (Remedial Issues) Amendment Bill is Monday, 19 March. Because the committee has decided to commence hearings as soon as possible following the deadline, submitters are encouraged to contact the committee's secretariat as soon as possible if they wish to be heard.

Regulations Review (Fiona McLean, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz )
At its meeting on 28 February, the committee heard evidence on the regulation-making powers in the Electricity Industry Bill. Both the Minister of Energy, Hon Pete Hodgson, and officials from the Ministry of Economic Development appeared before the committee. The Minister discussed the purposes and intentions of the bill. The committee is principally concerned with the scope of the regulation-making powers in the bill. The bill also seeks to exclude the application of the Regulations (Disallowance) Act 1989, and it permits the Minister to make what appear to be very broad-ranging rules to regulate the electricity industry. The committee has concluded hearing evidence on this issue, and can make a report to the Commerce Committee, which is currently considering the Electricity Industry Bill.

The committee will next meet on Wednesday, 14 March, and will hear evidence on its inquiry into regulation-making powers that authorise international treaties to override any provisions of New Zealand enactments. The hearing will be open to the public.

Social Services (Tim Cooper, SC-SS@parliament.govt.nz)
This week the committee heard evidence on the issue of pension reciprocity. Arrangements in several countries were discussed, though Britain was a particular focus. The committee also began its consideration of the Housing Corporation Amendment Bill, which aims to combine several housing entities into a new Housing New Zealand Corporation. The committee will hear evidence on the bill in a few weeks. The committee will not be meeting next week.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Lyn Main, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)
On Wednesday, 7 March, from 11.30 am to approximately 1.00 pm, the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee is hearing evidence on the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill. In the afternoon of Wednesday, 7 March, from 2.45 pm, the committee will be hearing evidence on the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill (No 2).


Closing dates for submissions
Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:

Commerce
New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Amendment Bill (2 March 2001)

Education and Science
Education Amendment Bill (No 2) (14 March 2001)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
International Treaties Bill (31 March 2001)

Government Administration
Cigarettes (Fire Safety) Bill (31 March 2001)
Statutes Amendment Bill (31 March 2001)

Health
Medical Practitioners (Foreign Qualified Medical Practitioners) Amendment Bill (31 March 2001)
Smoke-free Environments (Enhanced Protection) Amendment Bill (23 April 2001)

Justice and Electoral
Victims’ Rights Bill and Supplementary Order Paper No 112 (12 March 2001)

Local Government and Environment
Inquiry into the role of local government in meeting New Zealand’s climate change target (15 March 2001)
Auckland Aotea Centre Empowering Amendment Bill (2 April 2001)
Taranaki Regional Council Empowering Bill (2 April 2001)

Primary Production
Fisheries (Remedial Issues) Amendment Bill (19 March 2001)

Transport and Industrial Relations
Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Bill (23 March 2001)
Civil Aviation Amendment Bill (2 March 2001)
Civil Aviation Amendment Bill (No 2) (9 March 2001)


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
carol.rankin@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 2 March 2001


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