Questions for Oral Answer
As At Wednesday, 8 October 2003

Questions to Ministers

1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: When she said yesterday that elective surgery waiting lists amount to 31,785, how many had been removed from those waiting lists without treatment under her administration, and does she think that is satisfactory?

2. Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What has been the impact of his tertiary education policies on student debt?

3. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement regarding the Supreme Court Bill that "It would be nice to have more formal cross-party support in Parliament"; if so, can she explain why she wanted to have more cross-party support?

4. MARC ALEXANDER to the Minister of Local Government: Does he stand by his statement that "I am only too pleased to say that, as Minister of Local Government, I advocate local decision-making by, and on behalf of, communities."; if not, why not?

5. RODNEY HIDE to the Associate Minister of Health: Has money from Vote Health been paid to ASH and other anti-smoking groups to: "create a climate of support for amendments to the Smoke-free Environments Act", to write letters to editors, to liaise with political parties, "visit key portfolio MPs and Maori MPs" and "make formal submissions and presentations to the select committee considering legislative changes"; if so, does he believe that health dollars should be spent lobbying for legislative change?

6. MARK PECK to the Minister for Small Business: What reports has he received on economic growth in the small business sector?

7. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: In light of her statement that foreshore and seabed legislation will be introduced "when it is ready", can she provide a more precise date on when that will be, and why is the Government not releasing a public statement on the seabed and foreshore issue until after the Waitangi Tribunal hearing on 17 October 2003?

8. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS to the Minister for the Environment: Is she satisfied with the way that the new limited notification provisions of the Resource Management Act are working; if so, why?

9. Hon DAVID CARTER to the Convenor, Ministerial Group on Climate Change: Does he stand by his description of the O'Hara report into agricultural greenhouse gas emissions research as a "comprehensive report"; if so, why?

10. MARTIN GALLAGHER to the Minister of Customs: Has he any evidence that shows that increased resourcing of border agencies is helping reduce the quantities of illegal drugs from entering New Zealand?

11. DEBORAH CODDINGTON to the Minister of Education: Does he believe that parents should have choice in relation to which school their children attend?

12. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Transport: Is he satisfied that the Transit New Zealand Board's failure to act on the recommendation of its staff that Tauranga's Takitimu Drive and the Takitimu Drive/Tasman Quay link be designated as a State highway is transparent, democratic and non-partisan

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