QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Tuesday, 27 February 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. Rt Hon JENNY SHIPLEY to the Prime Minister: When she described the new social security agreement with Australia as a "win-win" deal, was she including the advice from official sources that it will "vastly increase the cost of welfare assistance in New Zealand and severely impact on future migrants who do not meet the criteria for permanent residence"?

2. SUE BRADFORD to the Minister of Health: Does she consider that Capital and Coast District Health Board should intervene in the dispute involving its cleaning contractor, Spotless, to ensure that Capital and Coast District Health Board is behaving in accord with the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act's social responsibility and good employer provisions; if not, why not?

3. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Finance: How does he intend to ensure that any undertakings entered into with the Green Party in order to obtain their support for the "People's Bank" will be implemented?

4. JILL PETTIS to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: Is the total amount paid out to domestic purposes beneficiaries offset by liable parent contributions; if so, to what extent?

5. Hon RICHARD PREBBLE to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement in a press release of 8 December "that a New Zealand Press Association report alleging that New Zealanders will no longer get automatic residency in Australia is completely and utterly false"; if not, why not?

6. DIANNE YATES to the Minister of Justice: What are the main recommendations of the Law Commission report Juries in Criminal Trials and how does he propose to respond to them?

7. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: In light of his statement to the House last Thursday that the issuing of proceedings by a State-owned enterprise against a member of Parliament would be "entirely up to the board of New Zealand Post", can he confirm that the directors formally resolved such a course of action; if so, on what date?

8. KEVIN CAMPBELL to the Minister for Industry and Regional Development: What recent reports has he received about positive economic development in the regions?

9. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Education: Does he support the recommendation made by the Maori education hui over the last weekend for a separate authority to oversee Maori education?

10. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: How much credibility does he give to newspaper articles regarding the activities of Airways Corporation of New Zealand Limited?

11. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Police: How does he reconcile a 4.8% increase in violent crime with his previous statement that "It is also a fact that our policies are working."?

12. MAHARA OKEROA to the Associate Minister of Education: Why did the Government attend the Hui Taumata Matauranga called by Ngati Tuwharetoa last weekend?

13. Hon BRIAN DONNELLY to the Minister of Education: How much was appropriated for his review of the Education Review Office and how much was the actual cost?

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>