Select Committee Business

From 12 October to 19 October 2001

Committee meetings

There were 19 committee meetings. One was in Christchurch and the remainder in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented (4)

Transport and Industrial Relations

- Minimum Wage Amendment Bill (137-1)

- Employment Relations (Validation of Union Registration and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (161-1)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

- International treaty examination of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict

Officers of Parliament

- Inquiry into the recommendation of auditors to audit the financial statements of the Offices of Parliament

Bills referred to select committees

The Citizenship Amendment Bill No 3 was referred to the Government Administration Committee with a report due by 20 November 2001.

The TOWER Trust Limited Bill was referred to the Commerce Committee.

The Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 2) was referred to the Regulations Review Committee.

Committee notes

(for further information on an item, please contact the committee staff noted in backets)

Commerce (Alan Witcombe, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz)

Tthe committee began hearing evidence on the Trade Marks Bill. The committee will next meet on 1 November to hear further evidence on the bill. The Consumer Protection (Definitions of Goods and Services) Bill and the TOWER Trust Limited Bill have both been referred to the committee recently. The committee is calling for submissions on the bills, with a closing date for both bills of 15 January 2002.

Education and Science (Louise Gardiner, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met to consider four inquiries: tertiary education resourcing, review of Victoria University of Wellington, review of Southern Institute of Technology, and the new inquiry into teacher education in New Zealand. The committee also considered the 2000/01 financial reviews.

The committee will not meet next week. Its next meeting is scheduled for 1 November.

Finance and Expenditure (Julian Kersey, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met on 17 October. The Associate Minister of Commerce gave evidence on the Construction Contracts Bill. The Minister of Finance and The Treasury gave evidence on the 2000/01 financial review of The Treasury and the Crown Financial Statements.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met to further consider the Terorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill.

Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee has called for public submissions on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (No 3). The bill seeks to rectify problems with the provisions of the Citizenship Act 1977 concerning citizenship by descent. In terms of section 7 of the Citizenship Act, citizens by descent born after 1977, in order to retain their citizenship, have to register their citizenship before reaching the age of 24. As from 1 January 2002, these citizens start turning 24. The registration requirement creates problems as some people, unaware of the need to register, will lose their citizenship. This bill seeks to address these problems by making retention of citizenship by descent status no longer dependent upon registration and by reinstating citizenship to anyone who has lost it by failing to register. The bill also seeks to address discrepancies in the Citizenship Act that have the effect of restricting the acquisition of New Zealand citizenship in cases involving the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau.

The closing date for submissions on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (No 3) is 2 November 2001. Please send 20 copies of your submission to Lesley Ferguson, Clerk of the Committee, Government Administration Committee, Select Committee Office, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

The committee will not meet next week.

Health (Matthew Andrews, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met in Christchurch to hear submissions on the cannabis inquiry. Next week the committee will not meet. On 31 October and 1 November the committee will be meeting in Northland to hear submissions on the inquiry into the adverse effects on women as a result of treatment by Dr Graham Parry.

Justice and Electoral (Wendy Proffitt, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee concluded hearing submissions on the Human Rights Amendment Bill, which is due to be reported by 1 November. The committee also considered the 2000/01 financial reviews and the Prostitution Reform Bill. Next week the committee will consider the Human Rights Amendment Bill.

Please contact the Clerk of the Committee for further information about the committee’s meetings for the next month.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee met this week to consider the Crown Organisations (Criminal Liability) Bill and consider the review of services provided to select committees.

The committee is not meeting during the coming adjournment week. It next meets on Thursday, 1 November, from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm, to further consider the Crown Organisations (Criminal Liability) Bill and the review of services provided to select Committees.

Local Government and Environment (David Bagnall, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee considered the Taranaki Regional Council Empowering Bill and the Hawke's Bay Endowment Land Empowering Bill. Evidence was heard on the Local Government (Rating) Bill from the Federation of Maori Authorities, Telecom New Zealand Limited, TelstraSaturn, Clear Communications and Water Safety New Zealand.

Next Tuesday, the committee will hear evidence in Auckland on the Local Government (Rating) Bill. The hearings will be completed in Wellington on Friday. On Thursday evening a subcommittee will consider the inquiry into the role of local government in meeting New Zealand’s climate change target.

Maori Affairs (Marcus Ganley, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee's next meeting will be on 1 November, when it will hear evidence on the financial review of Te Mangai Paho. This will be followed by a briefing from the Ministry of Health as part of the committee’s inquiry into the mainstreaming of services to Maori.

The committee is currently calling for submissions on the Te Uri o Hau Claims Settlement Bill along with its inquiries into the Crown Forestry Rental Trust and the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission. For more details see http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/programme/committees/submissions/. The committee has determined that it will hear evidence on the Te Uri o Hau Claims Settlement Bill in Auckland on Monday, 19 November.

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz)

This week the committee heard evidence on the Biosecurity Amendment Bill. Seven submissions were received with five submitters presenting their views in person to the committee. The Biosecurity Act 1993 is the principal legislative authority for actions to keep harmful organisms out of New Zealand and/or manage any that do establish themselves here. Key amendments include the reintroduction of a non-enforceable duty on persons to inform of the presence of organisms not usually seen in New Zealand. This is coupled with a new offence provision, which applies only to those who know who would reasonably be expected to know that the organism concerned is not normally seen in New Zealand. At present a two-week notice period is required for aerial spraying. However, in cases where this period would seriously damage the chance of containing the undesirable organism this notice can be reduced to 24 hours.

The committee will not meet next week.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Lyn Main, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee’s report on the Employment Relations (Validation of Union Registration and Other Matters) Amendment Bill was presented on 18 October. The committee agreed to report but could not agree, due to a tied vote, whether the bill should be passed. Labour and Alliance members support the bill but National and ACT members oppose it. The report can be viewed www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz through the publications link.

The committee is not meeting next week.

Closing dates for submissions

Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:

Commerce

Consumer Protection (Definitions of Goods and Services) Bill (15 January 2002)

TOWER Trust Limited Bill (15 January 2002)

Government Administration

Citizenship Amendment Bill No 3 (2 November 2001)

Health

Smoke-free Environments (Enhanced Protection) Amendment Bill and Supplementary Order Paper No 148 (23 November 2001)

Maori Affairs

Inquiry into the operations and performance of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust (29 October 2001)

Inquiry into the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission (Te Ohu Kai Moana) (15 February 2002)

Te Uri o Hau Claims Settlement Bill (9 November 2001)

Regulations Review

The Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 2) (9 November 2001)

Social Services

Commissioner for Children Bill (19 November 2001)

Social Workers Registration (19 November 2001)

Website developments

You can find further information about select committees on our website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz. As from this week you will see significant improvements in access to committee information (through the “programme’ link). Also, as from last week, all committee reports will be published on the website. You can view these through the “publications’ link.

General

If you require additional information or have any feedback on the contents, please contact:

Carol Rankin

Senior Parliamentary Officer

carol.rankin@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 19 October 2001

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