QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Wednesday, 19 September 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: On what does she base her reported belief that, despite the terrorist attacks in America, New Zealand was living in a "benign" defence environment but what was not so benign was the intelligence environment?

2. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Finance: When did he first become aware of the very serious financial state of Air New Zealand which led to the request for Government assistance, and what did he immediately do to secure New Zealanders' and New Zealand taxpayers' interests?

3. BELINDA VERNON to the Minister of Transport: As holder of the Kiwi share, can he confirm that based on yesterday's share price the proposed investment by Singapore Airlines into Air New Zealand will breach the proposed 35% foreign investment cap and what steps has he taken to ensure the deal will proceed?

4. MARK PECK to the Minister of Finance: Is the Government considering measures that could be taken to address the possibility of a change in the economic outlook; if so, what are those measures?

5. STEPHEN FRANKS to the Minister of Transport: How have things improved for the travelling public since he became Minister?

6. IAN EWEN-STREET to the Minister for Biosecurity: In light of the recent discovery of a further live black widow spider in imported Californian grapes, despite corrective action to fumigation deficiencies being taken by MAF, does he agree that the importation of Californian grapes should be banned immediately; if not, why not?

7. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Finance: What sort of Government commitment to the future of Air New Zealand should be taken from his comment "I have no doubt that at the end of the day there will be an Air New Zealand."?

8. HELEN DUNCAN to the Minister of Education: What progress has been made in providing high-quality low-cost software to schools?

9. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister for the Environment: Is the Government considering extending the moratorium on genetic modification, as signalled by the Prime Minister on Friday 7 September?

10. TAITO PHILLIP FIELD to the Minister of Housing: What progress is the Government making on the development of a social housing strategy?

11. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Minister of Maori Affairs: Does the Government intend to appoint Mr Derek Fox to the board of the new Maori television service; if so, will he be chairman of the board?

12. DAVID BENSON-POPE to the Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: What is the Government doing to help regional museums protect and house collections of national significance?

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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>>