QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Wednesday, 10 October 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. Dr MURIEL NEWMAN to the Prime Minister: Did she or her Chief of Staff play any role in the Government's reported decision to propose amendments to the Telecommunications Bill to rescind the Government's commitment not to regulate mobile roaming, thereby allowing Zimbabwean-based company Econet Wireless with its Maori partner Hautaki Trust access to existing compatible networks; if so, what are the details of these roles?

2. JOHN TAMIHERE to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the state of the economy?

3. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Following her statement to the House yesterday that the comments on 5 October by the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Hon Matt Robson, had been "discussed" with him, what commitment did she get from Mr Robson that he and the Alliance Party fully support her statement that "The Government believes that ... military action is justified under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter"?

4. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Health: Is she satisfied that the needs for patients requiring surgery are being met in a timely manner at present; if so, why?

5. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with reported comments in reference to solving the problems in Air New Zealand that "Only one thing stood in the way: the Government had to approve lifting Air New Zealand's foreign ownership cap to 49%. That should have been a formality."?

6. MAHARA OKEROA to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: What is the Government doing to ensure that the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services can recruit and retain the best social workers?

7. Hon ROGER SOWRY to the Minister of Health: What is her response to comments made by the general manager of the Taranaki District Health Board that the board was underfunded and that "The cost of maintaining the range of services for the population and the rural provincial services to the required standard is not sufficient to meet the way those services are delivered."?

8. JUDY KEALL to the Minister of Health: What steps have been taken to ensure more radiotherapists are trained?

9. Hon MAX BRADFORD to the Minister of Defence: Will the inquiries into defence, one to be headed by Colin Carruthers QC, and the other to be headed by Douglas White QC and Graham Ansell, be held in public and have the power to subpoena or take evidence under oath; if not, why not?

10. HELEN DUNCAN to the Minister of Education: What progress has the Government made in increasing the availability of information communications technology in schools?

11. ROD DONALD to the Prime Minister: Why has she changed from Labour's position on New Zealand committing troops to a United States-led military action that she quoted on 5 December 1990 from a press statement from the Rt Hon Mike Moore regarding Iraq's invasion of Kuwait: "The Labour position has not changed. We seek a United Nations response. We reject direct military involvement. We feel New Zealand's interests are better suited by way of aid, medical teams, refugee assistance, and transportation than by sending fighting ships and fighting men."?

12. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister assisting the Prime Minister on Auckland Issues: What are her top five achievements as Minister, in order of importance?

ENDS

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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>>