SELECT COMMITTEE BUSINESS

From 27 July to 3 August 2001

Committee meetings

There were 19 meetings, all in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

Commerce

- Second report on the Shop Trading Hours (Abolition of Restrictions) Bill (272-1)

Local Government and Environment

- Petition 1996/1971 of David John Cooper and 66 others

Social Services

- Briefing from His Honour Principal Family Court Judge Mahony

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

- International treaty examination of the Agreement on Social Security Between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Australia

Bills referred to select committees

The State Sector Amendment Bill was referred to the Government Administration Committee with a report deadline of 4 September 2001.

The Trustee Companies Amendment Bill was referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

The Trade Marks Bill was referred to the Commerce Committee.

Committee notes

(for further information on an item, please contact the committee staff noted in italics)

Commerce (Alan Witcombe, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee met on Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday the committee considered the Telecommunications Bill and on Thursday it gave further consideration to that bill and the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Bill. It also heard evidence from the Sydenham Money Club on the Sydenham Money Club Bill, a private bill.

The committee presented its second report on the Shop Trading Hours (Abolition of Restrictions) Bill, a member’s bill in the name of Rodney Hide.

The Trade Marks Bill was referred to the committee. It has set a closing date of 21 September for public submissions.

Next week the committee will meet on Tuesday to consider the Telecommunications Bill and on Thursday to further consider that bill and the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Bill.

Finance and Expenditure (Julian Kersey, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on Wednesday,1 August. It considered the Taxation (Annual Rates, Taxpayer Assessment and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. The committee heard evidence from the Minister for State-Owned Enterprises on the Crown Company Monitoring Advisory Unit, following up on issues raised during the Estimates examination.

The Trustee Companies Amendment Bill was referred to the committee with the usual six-month report deadline (31 January 2002).

The committee has called for submissions on the Construction Contracts Bill. The deadline for submissions is 8 August 2001. The bill is intended to facilitate prompt and regular payments within the construction industry. It will also provide for the resolution of disputes and provide remedies for the recovery of payments under a construction contract.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met this week to hear the final submission on the International Treaties Bill. The committee also gave further consideration to the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Extension Bill.

The committee reported on its examination of the Australia New Zealand Social Security Agreement.

Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee has called for public submissions on the State Sector Amendment Bill. The bill is intended to facilitate machinery of government changes in the Public Service. It provides for the alteration or removal of the names of departments from the First Schedule of the State Sector Act 1988. It also provides that where, as a consequence of a machinery of government change, an employee is offered similar employment, the employee would not be entitled to any redundancy payment.

The closing date for submissions on the State Sector Amendment Bill is 13 August 2001. Please send 20 copies of your submission to Lesley Ferguson, Clerk of the Government Administration Committee, Select Committee Office, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

Next week the committee will continue to hear evidence on the inquiry into the operation of the Film, Videos and Publications Classification Act 1993 and related issues.

Health (Matthew Andrews, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met this week to continue consideration of the Medical Practitioners (Foreign Qualified Medical Practitioners) Amendment Bill. The committee also considered petitions. The committee will meet again on Wednesday, 8 August.

Justice and Electoral (Wendy Proffitt, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee considered the Prostitution Reform Bill, the Victims’ Rights Bill and Supplementary Order Paper No 112, the Electoral Amendment Bill (No 2) and the inquiry into the 1999 General Election.

Next week the committee will consider the Electoral Amendment Bill (No 2), the inquiry into the 1999 General Election, the Victims’ Rights Bill and Supplementary Order Paper No 112, and the Crimes (Criminal Appeals) Amendment Bill.

Please contact the Clerk of the Committee for further information about the committee’s meetings for the next month.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on Thursday, 2 August to consider the Crown Organisations (Criminal Liability) Bill. The bill aims to provide incentives for the Crown to avoid instances of systemic failure, and to provide for accountability of the Crown if systemic failure occurs. It implements the recommendation in Judge Noble’s report into the Cave Creek tragedy, that the Crown’s long-standing exemption from prosecution under the Building Act 1991 and the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 be removed, by:

- providing for government departments, Crown entities and other Crown-related organisations to be treated substantially the same as private sector corporate bodies

- conferring on these organisations a separate legal identity for the purposes of criminal prosecution

- introducing a new offence into the Building Act 1991.

The committee heard evidence from three individuals and the following six organisations: Office of the Ombudsmen; Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of New Zealand; New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors; NZEI Te Riu Roa (New Zealand Educational Institute); Transit New Zealand; and the Association of Consulting Engineers of New Zealand.

The committee will not meet next week but is meeting the following week on Thursday, 16 August, from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm.

Maori Affairs (Marcus Ganley, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)

The Crown Forestry Rental Trust, led by its Chairperson, Sir Graham Latimer, briefed the committee on the claims process and Kotahitanga Strategy, the revised approach to research, the Volcanic Interior Plateau project and the trust’s business plan for 2001/02.

MMP Review (Louise Sparrer, SC-MMP@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on 1 August to further consider its review of MMP.

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee has had another busy week. On Tuesday afternoon the committee continued hearing evidence on the Apple and Pear Industry Restructuring Act Repeal Bill. On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, it heard further evidence on the Dairy Industry Restructuring Bill. On Thursday morning it considered some of the issues being raised in submissions.

Next week promises to be as busy as this week. The committee completes the hearing of evidence on the apple legislation on Tuesday, 7 August, and continues hearing evidence on the dairy legislation on Wednesday and Thursday, 8 and 9 August.

Regulations Review (Andrew Fieldsend, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz )

The committee met on Wednesday, 1 August. It continued consideration of a complaint about the Domestic Violence (Programmes) Regulations 1996.

The committee will next meet on Wednesday, 8 August, when it will continue consideration of its inquiry into regulation-making powers that authorise international treaties to override any provisions of New Zealand enactments. It will also consider its inquiry into the principles determining whether delegated legislation is given the status of regulations.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Lyn Main, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee completed hearings on the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill on Wednesday, 1 August. The committee will further consider this bill at its next meeting on 8 August. The committee is required to report on this bill by 3 September 2001.

Closing dates for submissions

Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:

Commerce

Trade Marks Bill (21 September 2001)

Finance and Expenditure

Construction Contracts Bill (8 August 2001)

Government Administration

Racing Bill (10 August 2001)

Recreation and Sport Agency Bill (10 August 2001)

State Sector Amendment Bill (13 August 2001)

Transport and Industrial Relations

Minimum Wage Amendment Bill (31 August 2001)

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