QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

TUESDAY 7 AUGUST 2001

QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

1. Rt Hon JENNY SHIPLEY to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement that the Catching the Knowledge Wave conference “absolutely confirms” the Government’s economic directions?

2. TAITO PHILLIP FIELD to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: What steps is the Government taking to ensure that the unemployed and/or those with low or no qualifications move into further education and training, or into a job?

3. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: Did he receive written advice from officials dated 29 June 2000 in relation to comments by the Hon Jim Anderton regarding the New Zealand Post “People’s Bank” proposal that “In making this comment the Hon Jim Anderton and the Crown are in breach of the Securities Regulations.”; if so, what steps did he take as a result?

4. RODNEY HIDE to the Prime Minister: When did she first learn that officials had advised the Minister for State Owned Enterprises that the Hon Jim Anderton had breached the Securities Regulations and what action did she take?

5. BOB SIMCOCK to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: How does he reconcile his statement to the House that he had always behaved in an appropriate fashion with Justice Goddard’s judgment which went so far as to say that his use of indecent expletives was “Clearly … an inappropriate way for a Minister to address any chief executive, let alone a female one”?

6. JANET MACKEY to the Minister of Justice: What changes is he intending to make to the law governing juries in criminal trials and why?

7. BELINDA VERNON to the Minister of Transport: What are the possible changes to Air New Zealand that will involve regulatory approvals referred to in Hon Dr Michael Cullen’s press conference with the Australian Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson?

8. SUE BRADFORD to the Attorney-General: What steps does the Government take to ensure that legal proceedings taken by Government agencies are consistent with Government policy?

9. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by his view, expressed at last year’s Secondary Principals Association Conference, that marijuana should be decriminalised?

10. DAVID BENSON-POPE to the Minister of Education: What reports has he received on successful information and communication technology projects in schools?

11. Hon RICHARD PREBBLE to the Prime Minister: In light of the report from the Science and Innovation Advisory Council, and in particular the statement that “The Prime Minister, as the leading citizen, must drive the change” to “Ensure that our tax, finance and bankruptcy regimes do not punish calculated risk taking” why has she ruled out tax cuts?

12. JOHN TAMIHERE to the Minister of Maori Affairs: What is the purpose of the $15 million community fund for Maori language projects announced on 29 July as part of Maori Language Week?

QUESTIONS TO MEMBERS

1. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Chairperson of the Maori Affairs Committee: Has the Maori Affairs Committee taken steps to require Te Puni Kokiri to provide to the committee copies of monitoring reports for the programme formerly called Closing the Gaps previously promised but not provided to the committee by officials; if so, have those reports been delivered?

2. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Chairperson of the Maori Affairs Committee: Has the Maori Affairs Committee taken steps to require the chairperson of the Cabinet Social Equity Committee to provide to the committee copies of monitoring reports for the programme formerly called Closing the Gaps previously promised but not provided to the committee by officials; if so, have those reports been delivered?

3. RODNEY HIDE to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee: Is it correct that the transcript of the appearance of the Minister for State Owned Enterprises is not to be released until the Minister has viewed and, if appropriate, corrected it?

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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>>