QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Wednesday, 8 August 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. Hon KEN SHIRLEY to the Minister for Industry and Regional Development: Has he seen a report to the Wood Processing Strategy Climate Change Group prepared by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research in July 2001; if so, what does he conclude from the report's analysis and conclusions concerning the impact on industry and regional development?

2. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Health: Is it the Government's intention that residents of Tauranga, prescribed by their doctor to undertake treatment at the Hanmer Springs Queen Mary addiction centre, are unable to receive financial assistance for treatment unless they are of Maori descent; if so, what is the relevance of one's ethnicity in determining financial assistance to this prescribed treatment?

3. Rt Hon JENNY SHIPLEY to the Prime Minister: Does she include the establishment of a "People's Bank" as one of the "smart, active Government interventions to help move the economy upmarket" which she told the House yesterday was the key message of the Catching the Knowledge Wave conference; if so, why?

4. TIM BARNETT to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What progress has been made with the Government's tertiary education and training reform strategy?

5. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: Does he believe he met the "new standards - both in terms of behaviour and performance", set by the Prime Minister, in responding to the CCMAU memorandum of June 2000 which stated that "the Hon Jim Anderton and the Crown are in breach of the Securities Regulations"?

6. HELEN DUNCAN to the Minister of Education: What reports has he received on numeracy teaching in New Zealand schools?

7. SUE KEDGLEY to the Minister of Health: Why has the newly constituted Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council, which allows agriculture and other Ministers to attend, held a meeting before the necessary legislative and Treaty changes have been agreed to by the New Zealand Parliament?

8. Hon ROGER SOWRY to the Minister of Health: Has she asked the Ministry of Health for an update of hospital deficit figures since the Health Committee was advised that provision is being made for combined district health board deficits of $39 million by June 2002; if so, what is the latest forecast?

9. CHRIS CARTER to the Minister of Immigration: What response has there been to the new policy of open work permits for spouses of long-term business visa and work permit holders?

10. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister for the Environment: Does she stand by her answer last week that 1,393 doses of the genetically modified Orochol Berna cholera vaccine were used in New Zealand since the voluntary moratorium on genetically modified organisms was introduced?

11. STEVE CHADWICK to the Minister for Disability Issues: Has she received any reports recently that indicate progress is being made towards the objectives of the New Zealand Disability Strategy?

12. BOB SIMCOCK to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: How does he reconcile his statement to the House yesterday, that he disagreed with the Chief Judge's comments relating to his language during meetings, with the Prime Minister's statement that she was "sure that he's taken on board what the Judge has said"?

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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>>