QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Thursday, 17 May 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. CLAYTON COSGROVE to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the main conclusions of the most recent forecast on the New Zealand economy?

2. Hon TONY RYALL to the Attorney-General: Does she stand by her statement on Tuesday in respect of clause 7 of the Yelash settlement that "the Crown did not specifically instruct that that clause be included"; if so, why?

3. NANAIA MAHUTA to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What initiative is the Government taking to build New Zealand's export education capacity?

4. Hon KEN SHIRLEY to the Minister of Conservation: Did she receive any legal advice or opinion that she was not obliged to refer the Whitianga Waterways application for a restricted coastal permit back to the hearing committee; if so, why did she not heed this advice?

5. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Attorney-General: Why, when responding to a question concerning the settlement between the Prime Minister and Mr Yelash, did she say "No general or specific direction was given as to confidentiality."?

6. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister of Conservation: Will she support urgency to pass an amendment to the Resource Management Act to overturn her decision that Whitianga Waterways must have their resource consent reheard by Environment Waikato?

7. ANN HARTLEY to the Minister of Education: Does the upcoming Budget offer anything to help education in small, rural schools; if so, what?

8. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Revenue: What is the estimated fiscal impact of his announcement that some schools and tourist operators will be retrospectively denied GST refunds?

9. Hon ROGER SOWRY to the Minister of Health: Has she seen or heard reports that the Chief Executive of Counties Manukau District Health Board has said that Middlemore Hospital faces a serious funding squeeze as the board tries to absorb a 7% rise in acute admissions and cost increases of 4%; if so, is the Chief Executive correct in saying that the District Health Board will have to meet that growth from internal sources?

10. SUE KEDGLEY to the Minister for Biosecurity: As the United States Environmental Protection Agency has classified permethrin as a possible human carcinogen, has banned its use in aircraft cabins and is investigating suggestions that some ingredients can damage the brains of infants and foetuses, why does the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry insist its use in aircraft is safe?

11. JILL PETTIS to the Minister of Agriculture: What changes to food administration is the Government proposing?

12. BOB SIMCOCK to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: What reports has he received on the impact of the 6% increase in food prices over the last year on low-income families?

Questions to Members

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1. RODNEY HIDE to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee: Is the committee reopening the Taxation (Annual Rates, Taxpayer Assessment and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill for further submissions; if so, why?

2. STEPHEN FRANKS to the Chairperson of the Health Committee: Has the committee commissioned research or advice on ways to detect and prevent cannabis-impaired driving in relation to its inquiry into health strategies relating to cannabis use?

3. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Chairperson of the Local Government and Environment Committee: Has the consideration of the Resource Management (Costs) Amendment Bill required the committee this month to meet outside the committee's normal programme of Wednesday meetings?

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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>>