Select Committee Business

From 2 November to 9 November 2001

Committee meetings

There were 16 committee meetings, all in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

Law and Order

- Crown Organisations (Criminal Liability) Bill (120-2)

Government Administration

- Recreation and Sport Agency Bill (130-2)

- 2000/01 financial review of Government Property Services Limited

- 2000/01 financial review of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage

- 2000/01 financial review of the Ministry of Youth Affairs

- 2000/01 financial review of the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives

- 2000/01 financial review of the Office of the Ombudsmen

- 2000/01 financial review of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

- 2000/01 financial review of Statistics New Zealand

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

- Interim report on the Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill

Commerce

- Statements made concerning Vodafone New Zealand Limited in relation to the Telecommunications Bill

- Petition 1993/630 of John Terris and 5416 others

- Petition 1996/932 of Dr David Hingston and others

Intelligence and Security (statutory committee established pursuant to the Intelligence and Security Committee Act 1996)

- Government Communications Security Bureau Bill (122-2)

Bills referred to select committees

No bills were referred.

Committee notes

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

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

On 15 November the committee will hear evidence on the 2000/01 financial review of the Ministry of Economic Development. The Chief Executive and senior officers will appear to give evidence on the ministry’s performance in the 2000/01 year and its current operations.

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

In its meeting on Thursday, 8 November, the committee considered the upcoming financial reviews of the Ministry of Education and the Education Review Office. The committee also considered the inquiry into decile funding.

At its next meeting on Thursday, 15 November, the committee will hear evidence on its financial review of the National Library of New Zealand. This will be open to the public, from 10.10 am to 11.00 am in Room G.011, Parliament House. The committee will also continue consideration of the inquiry into decile funding.

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

The committee met on Wednesday, 9 November. It heard evidence on the financial review of New Zealand Post. It also considered its response to the Standing Orders Committee on the review of services provided to select committees.

The committee will meet again on Wednesday, 14 November, in room G.006, Parliament House. It will hear evidence on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Monetary Policy Statement. This will be open to the public from 10.05 am to 11.00 am. The committee will also consider the Construction Contracts Bill and will receive a briefing from the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General and The Treasury on the principles of Crown accounting.

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

The committee presented its interim report to the House on the Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill yesterday. The report includes proposed amendments that relate to implementing part of UN Security Council Resolution 1373 in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September. The committee is calling for public submissions on the proposed amendments. The closing date for submissions is 30 November 2001. The report notes that the committee intends to make its final report to the House by March next year. The report is expected to be available at the Office of the Clerk’s website shortly.

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

The committee reported on the Recreation and Sport Agency Bill with the recommendation that it be passed, with amendments. If enacted, this bill would repeal the Sport, Fitness, and Leisure Act 1987. The bill seeks to establish a new Crown entity to actively promote and support the development and implementation of, and encourage participation in, physical recreation and sport in a way that is appropriate to all the various cultures and groups in New Zealand. The new entity, to be called Sport and Recreation New Zealand, would replace the current Hillary Commission for Sport, Fitness, and Leisure.

Next week the committee is to hear evidence from the State Services Commissioner, Mr Michael Wintringham, on the financial and operational performance of the State Services Commission for the 2000/01 financial year and current operations.

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

This week the committee heard its last submissions for the cannabis inquiry. The committee heard from a number of international experts from Australia, the Netherlands and Sweden. Next week the committee will receive a briefing from the Ministry of Health on dietary supplements and hear submissions on two petitions.

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

This week the committee began hearing submissions on the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill. Submissions heard included the New Zealand Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society, the Sensible Sentencing Trust, the National Network for Stopping Violence Services and the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties.

Suggestions made by submitters included:

- Police should not necessarily be advised of the release of offenders.

- Particularly brutal murderers deserve life imprisonment, without parole.

- Violent crimes warrant cumulative rather than concurrent sentences.

- Time penalties are critical in managing work gangs and need to be retained.

- Community-based sentences should continue not to apply to those under 15 years of age.

- The judge should not take specific background details of an offender into account when discharging without conviction.

- Suspended sentences should be retained.

- The bill may breach a number of international human rights standards, notably in the areas of preventive detention and the imposition of release conditions.

While submissions focused on a range of issues, the call for more involvement of the family, whanau or community in the sentencing and parole process was a common one.

Further submissions will be heard in Wellington next week on 14 November from 4.30 pm; in Christchurch on Tuesday, 20 November, from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm; and in Auckland the following day on Wednesday, 21 November, from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm (venues to be notified).

This week the committee also received a briefing from the Associate Minister of Justice, Hon Margaret Wilson, on government decisions about the Law Commission. The committee has been particularly concerned about the backlog of unimplemented Law Commission reports. One key decision is that the Government will respond to Law Commission reports within six months of their being tabled in the House. In addition, the committee considered the Prostitution Reform Bill, which is now due to be reported by 8 March 2002, the 2000/01 financial review of the Ministry of Justice, the review of services provided to select committees, and the inquiry into the 2001 local elections.

Next week the committee will hear evidence on the financial review of the Ministry of Justice and consider its inquiries into the Law Commission, the 2001 local elections, the 1999 General Election and the review of services provided to select committees.

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 2000/01 financial reviews of the Department for Courts and the New Zealand Police.

The committee next meets on Thursday, 15 November, from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, to consider the 2000/01 financial reviews of the Department of Corrections and the New Zealand Police, and to consider the review of services provided to select committees. The meeting will be open to the public, from 9.00 am to 10.00 am during a hearing of evidence from the New Zealand Police, and again from 10.45 am to 12.30 pm during a hearing of evidence from the Department of Corrections.

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

This week the committee heard evidence from the Maori Trustee as a follow-up to its inquiry of earlier this year (see: http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/content/9/mtorpt.pdf). This was followed by a hearing of evidence from the Office of Treaty settlements on the performance of the Office for the 2000/2001 financial year.

Next week the committee will consider the Te Uri o Hau Claims Bill. The committee will hear evidence on this bill in Auckland at the Copthorne Hotel on Anzac Avenue on Monday, 19 November.

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

The committee considered three items at its meeting on 8 November:

- the Biosecurity Amendment Bill

- the inquiry into sustainable forestry management

- the 2000/01 financial review of Land Information New Zealand. In the financial review examination, the committee questioned Land Information New Zealand about LandOnline performance, liability for contaminated sites and access to records.

Next week the committee will question the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the 2000/01 financial review of the ministry. It will also further consider the inquiry into sustainable forestry management.

Regulations Review (Andrew Fieldsend, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz)

Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Professor John Burrows of Canterbury University, and George Tanner, Chief Parliamentary Counsel, were among those who appeared before the committee on Wednesday afternoon to make submissions on the inquiry into principles determining whether delegated legislation is given the status of regulations. Speaking for the Legislation Advisory Committee, Professor Burrows said all delegated legislation should be subject to the possible scrutiny of the Regulations Review Committee. This position received support from Sir Geoffrey, representing the Law Society, and Mr Tanner. The submitters also suggested that the committee should educate the public service and the legal profession about its work.

Next week the committee will hear further submissions on the inquiry from the Ministry of Transport, the Land Transport Safety Authority, the Department for Corrections, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The hearing of evidence will be open to the public from 3.15 pm to 5.00 pm in G.010, Parliament House. On Wednesday morning the committee will continue its regular scrutiny of delegated legislation and examine the Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 2). It will also consider two complaints relating to the Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration (Fees) Amendment Regulations 2001.

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

The committee met on 7 November to hear evidence on the 2000/01 financial review of the Ministry of Transport.

The committee is next meeting on 14 November. The meeting will be open to the public from approximately 10.30 am to 12.45 pm while it hears evidence on the 2000/01 financial review of the Department of Labour. At this meeting, the committee is not focusing on the New Zealand Immigration Service of the Department of Labour but will be examining all other areas of the department. The committee expects to continue with the financial review of the department on 28 November 2001.

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)

Education and Science

Inquiry into teacher education (14 December 2001)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Interim report on the Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill (30 November 2001)

Health

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

Maori Affairs

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)

General

You can find further information about select committees on our website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz. 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, 9 November 2001

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