QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Thursday, 10 May 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Was she made aware of the Minister of Finance's concerns about exceeding the fiscal cap at the time of the December Economic and Fiscal Update; if so, did she advise him to keep that information from the rest of Cabinet?

2. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Fisheries: Why did he say on Tuesday 8 May 2001 that the fishing company Sealord is selling none of its fishing vessels?

3. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Minister of Broadcasting: Has she seen the reported comments of Television New Zealand chairman Dr Ross Armstrong that the departure of the head of TVNZ News and Current Affairs was "a change made in heaven" and a "dream scenario"; if so, does he have her formal or informal approval for his comments?

4. LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: What reports has he received on the state of the labour market?

5. OWEN JENNINGS to the Minister of Defence: What is the estimated total cost of all termination payments, including redundancies, superannuation, any accrued leave and all other payments, to air force and other defence staff resulting from the Government's decision to disband the air combat force?

6. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS to the Minister for the Environment: Will she use her call-in powers under the Resource Management Act 1991 in order to examine the national significance, including the possible effects on New Zealand's international obligations, of the carbon dioxide emissions of the two new 400MW thermal power stations planned by Contact Energy and Genesis Power; if not, why not?

7. Hon MAX BRADFORD to the Minister of Defence: What is the nature of the "appropriate purchase arrangements for the future" he referred to in the House yesterday when he said "future individual training from other defence forces is already regular purchase, and in terms of coming to terms with the specific indications of yesterday's announcements, we are already progressing towards appropriate purchase arrangements for the future", and what amount has been budgeted for each of the next three years for these purchase arrangements?

8. CHRIS CARTER to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: What has been the Government's response to the Indonesian court sentencing six men charged with the killing of three United Nations refugee workers in Atambua last year?

9. Hon ROGER SOWRY to the Minister of Health: Will she meet with District Health Boards New Zealand prior to the Budget to discuss funding for district health boards in the forthcoming financial year?

10. GEORGINA BEYER to the Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: What steps has the Government taken to support New Zealand music?

11. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Police: Can he confirm that official police statistics released last month show that, for the year ended 31 December 2000, recorded violent offences per 10,000 population were the highest since 1988; if so, did he know this when he said last month "New Zealand is a more secure place to be"?

12. NANAIA MAHUTA to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What progress has been made in the implementation of the Modern Apprenticeships initiative?

Questions to Members

1. NANDOR TANCZOS to the Chairperson of the Health Committee: How many hours has the committee met in addition to the normal meeting hours during sitting weeks on its inquiry into health strategies relating to cannabis use and how many additional hours does it intend to sit?

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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>>