QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Thursday, 9 August 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Education: Does he intend the grade point average to remain as part of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement; if so, why?

2. LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: What reports has he received on the state of the labour market?

3. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON to the Minister of Health: In light of the projected $62 million deficit at Auckland District Health Board and the cancellation of surgery at Starship Hospital, how does she intend to address pay concerns and nursing retention at that hospital?

4. JANET MACKEY to the Minister of Justice: What reports has he received on the effectiveness of suspended sentences?

5. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Minister of Maori Affairs: When did his Ministry receive advice from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet that quarterly monitoring reports would no longer be required in relation to the programme formerly called Closing the Gaps?

6. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS to the Minister of Conservation: What achievements can the Government claim that give substance to this year's Conservation Week theme "Unique New Zealand"?

7. BOB SIMCOCK to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: Which specific sections of Chief Judge Goddard's judgment regarding his personal behaviour or use of language does he accept as accurate, and which specific sections does he still not accept as accurate?

8. H V ROSS ROBERTSON to the Minister of Transport: What examples has he received of positive trends in public transport usage in New Zealand?

9. Hon RICHARD PREBBLE to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: Did he ask Dr Ross Armstrong whether he had sought the approval of the Board of New Zealand Post Ltd and the Minister for State Owned Enterprises before the decision was made to issue proceedings against me over the publication of documents relating to the proposed New Zealand Post's "People's Bank"; if so, what was the answer?

10. KEVIN CAMPBELL to the Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control: What was the outcome of the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects which he attended in New York last month?

11. Hon MAX BRADFORD to the Attorney-General: What advice did the Solicitor-General or Crown Law Office staff give the Government regarding the recovery of costs in the Rankin case, and was that advice to seek recovery of costs?

12. RON MARK to the Prime Minister: Was she being serious and sincere when she said, on 28 March 2001, that she acknowledged my expertise in army matters?

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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>>