QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Thursday, 2 August 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. KEVIN CAMPBELL to the Minister of Corrections: What reports has he received of opposition to longer sentences for the dangerous few and the safe and secure containment of New Zealand's prisoners?

2. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Energy: When he said there was "an approaching [electricity] crisis - the prospect of a crisis", did he have a date in mind as to when it would become a crisis?

3. GRAHAM KELLY to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: What action has he taken to express New Zealand's concern to the Government of Zimbabwe about abuses of human rights and the undermining of the rule of law in that country?

4. BELINDA VERNON to the Minister of Transport: Has he received advice on whether the Air New Zealand board has a united position on what is the best ownership option for the company; if so, what does the advice say?

5. PETER BROWN to the Minister for Accident Insurance: Is it the Government's intention that the Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Bill cover individuals injured whilst engaged in a criminal activity, and that they will receive financial compensation?

6. Dr LYNDA SCOTT to the Minister of Health: Has she reached any conclusions as to why the Canterbury District Health Board is going to have a deficit of at least $10 million this year after being in the black for the last few years?

7. HARRY DUYNHOVEN to the Minister of Labour: How many employment relations education courses have been approved under the Employment Relations Act?

8. RODNEY HIDE to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: Has he received official advice that the Deputy Prime Minister breached the Securities Act and the Securities Regulations when he proposed on the Holmes show last year to finance the "People's Bank" through redeemable preference shares and that he thereby exposed himself, the Crown and potentially the directors of the People's Bank and New Zealand Post Ltd to civil liability, and even criminal liability, with a fine of $15,000; if so, what action has he taken?

9. ROD DONALD to the Prime Minister: Will she be responding to the comment of Dr Dick Foster at the Catching the Knowledge Wave Conference that the "creative destruction of New Zealand by outside corporations [is] an issue I think you must address"; if so, what will that response be?

10. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister for the Environment: Have any New Zealanders been denied access to benefits from genetically modified technology as a consequence of the Government's moratorium on the release of genetically modified organisms?

11. MAHARA OKEROA to the Associate Minister of Health: What reports has she received in regard to the use and abuse of drugs in New Zealand?

12. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Minister of Broadcasting: Does she stand by her statements in the House yesterday that the decision by TelstraSaturn not to proceed with its planned digital partnership with Television New Zealand "does not affect Television New Zealand's plans for a free-to-air digital service", "had no impact on Television New Zealand", and "does not affect the contract with Television New Zealand"?

Questions to Members

1. Hon TONY RYALL to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee: For how many minutes did the Minister for State Owned Enterprises appear before the committee yesterday, and does the committee intend to call the Minister before it again on the same item?

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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>>