QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Thursday, 16 August 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. ROD DONALD to the Minister for Industry and Regional Development: Will he commit regional development funding to secure the Southerner and Bay Express rail services at least until Christmas so that their viability and contribution to regional development can be properly assessed?

2. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: What profits have the Government's State-owned electricity companies made during the current power crisis to date?

3. H V ROSS ROBERTSON to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What has been the response to the Government's decisions arising out of the review of industry training?

4. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: How has he applied the Prime Minister's commitment that she will lead an open, accountable and not secretive Government to his State-owned enterprises portfolio?

5. LIZ GORDON to the Minister for Industry and Regional Development: Has he been involved with any initiative that will improve industry and regional development; if so, what are the details of the initiative?

6. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: In light of the important difference between the New Zealand Post Ltd board being "briefed" on the decision to issue proceedings against Hon Richard Prebble or "advised" of that decision, and "board approval" of the issuing of proceedings against Mr Prebble, which of these accounts is correct, and if it is "board approval", what are the specific words in the board minutes which resolve to take that course of action?

7. RON MARK to the Minister of Defence: What significance, if any, was given to the all-up weight of a fully combat-equipped light armoured vehicle, including turret, fuel, bolt-on armour and crew, in the decision to purchase 105 LAV IIIs for the New Zealand Army, and was weight a deciding factor?

8. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): Does the proposed New Zealand Code of Practice for Providers Who Enrol International Students mean that schools enrolling international students under the age of 18 effectively have 24 hours a day in loco parentis obligations placed on them for those students?

9. TIM BARNETT to the Associate Minister of Justice: What changes are proposed to New Zealand's human rights legislation?

10. RODNEY HIDE to the Minister of Defence: Does he stand by his answer to written question No 8404 that, in the East Timor terrain where the New Zealand private was killed, the proposed new LAV III "would not have been far behind the patrol conducting the tracking", "would always have been on immediate notice to come forward", that "When the foot patrol came into contact with militia personnel, the LAV would immediately have been activated.", and that "The noise of the vehicle moving to the site might have caused the opposing group to withdraw."?

11. DIANNE YATES to the Minister responsible for the National Library: How is the National Library contributing to schools' opportunities to participate in the knowledge society?

12. BELINDA VERNON to the Minister of Finance: What brief has he given to Mr Rob Cameron in relation to his negotiations with Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Qantas, and when will the Government make a decision on this matter?

Questions to Members

1. RODNEY HIDE to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee: Is the committee conducting an inquiry called "Briefing from the Minister for State Owned Enterprises on the Crown Company Monitoring Advisory Unit"; if so, why?

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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>>