QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Wednesday, 31 October 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: What process will she follow to progress the legislative agenda necessary for the successful implementation of yesterday's genetic engineering announcement, and which issues, if any, are still open for negotiation?

2. PHILLIDA BUNKLE to the Minister for Economic Development: What initiatives will he take to promote New Zealand's economic development following yesterday's announcement of Government decisions on genetic engineering?

3. Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU to the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: Further to her answer yesterday regarding the Royal Commission's recommendations which made specific reference to the Treaty of Waitangi or Maori cultural issues, on what specific "matters" is the Government "currently engaged in discussion with members of the Maori caucus"?

4. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Health: Are there any other reasons for not funding a range of drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease than the advice of the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Committee; if so, what are those reasons?

5. MARK PECK to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: What reports has he received on initiatives to address regional labour market needs?

6. SIMON POWER to the Minister of Labour: Does she stand by her answer in the House yesterday when she said "I referred the matter of Susan Bathgate's availability to the department. At that point I assumed that the normal processes would take place. I subsequently found that she did have different positions. However, there is no rule against people having more than one warrant. The question is the payment for those warrants."; if not, why not?

7. GRAHAM KELLY to the Minister for Trade Negotiations: What are the implications for New Zealand of China's accession to the World Trade Organisation?

8. Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH to the Prime Minister: On what information did she base her statement this morning, about the war on terrorism, that "I wouldn't expect the campaign to carry on in exactly the form it has for the long term. I think it will enter other forms where perhaps, you know, intelligence, financial measures, diplomatic action, etc come to the fore more than the military campaign has just recently."?

9. KEITH LOCKE to the Prime Minister: In light of her reported statement yesterday that bombing raids inevitably cause civilian casualties, is she concerned about the increasing numbers of civilians being killed by the bombing of Afghanistan and will she support the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson's call for a halt in the air strikes?

10. RODNEY HIDE to the Minister of Labour: Did she interview Ms Susan Bathgate before she recommended her appointment to the Employment Relations Authority despite Ms Bathgate not being interviewed by the selection panel; if not, on what information did she decide personally to recommend her?

11. Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): Has he threatened to cut funding to the Southern Institute of Technology if it continues to drive fees down for polytechnic courses in Christchurch; if so, why?

12. H V ROSS ROBERTSON to the Minister of Labour: What is being done to improve health and safety in New Zealand workplaces?

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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>>