Microphone Issues Create Surreal Broadcast

Parliament got off to a surreal start today when it appeared that some microphones were stuck on live, while others were turned off.

The broadcast of Question Time sounded like Speaker Lockwood Smith was speaking from the end of a long tunnel, while some MPs chatter and interjections could be heard more clearly than ministers asking questions.

Prior to questions a number of select committee reports were tabled including the:

Mixed Ownership Model Bill as reported by the Finance and Expenditure Committee;

Privacy (Information Sharing) Bill as reported by the Justice and Electoral Committee;

Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill as reported by the Māori Affairs Committee;

Ngai Tāmanuhiri Claims Settlement Bill as reported by the Māori Affairs Committee

Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill as reported by the Primary Production Committee

Taxation (Annual Rates, Returns Filing, and Remedial Matters) Bill as reported by the Finance and Expenditure Committee

Prisoners' and Victims' Claims (2012 Expiry and Application Dates) Amendment Bill as reported by the Justice and Electoral Committee

2010/11 financial review of Abortion Supervisory Committee as reported by the Justice and Electoral Committee

2010/11 financial review of Landcorp Farming Limited as reported by the Primary Production Committee

2010/11 financial review of Canterbury District Health Board, and the West Coast District Health Board by the Health committee

The petition of Steven Winyard was presented asking that the House pass legislation to stop toddler beauty pageant contests being held in New Zealand and note that 692 people have signed a petition to that effect.

The New Zealand Auditor-General’s latest report, Institutional arrangements for training, registering, and appraising teachers, was also presented to the House.

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