QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Tuesday, 4 December 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. MARK PECK to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the state of business confidence in New Zealand?

2. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Does her Government still intend to proceed with its criminal libel provision following receipt of a letter signed by 16 senior media representatives which said "the media in New Zealand is united in its opposition to this move by the Government" and will she agree to meet these media representatives to explain her Government's decisions?

3. JOHN WRIGHT to the Minister for Economic Development: What reports has he received of economic development policies that will make a positive difference to the New Zealand economy?

4. Hon ROGER SOWRY to the Minister of Health: Does she stand by the answer given on her behalf last week, that "where patients had radiation treatment commenced in Australia prior to 6 September 2001 and were in Australia on that date, their circumstances will be considered with compassion, on a case by case basis, by the Ministry of Health and district health boards"; if not, why not?

5. HELEN DUNCAN to the Minister of Education: What progress is he making to improve numeracy in New Zealand?

6. Dr LYNDA SCOTT to the Minister of Health: Will she reimburse the Canterbury District Health Board for any extra costs it has incurred because of the recent nurses' strike; if not, why not?

7. STEPHEN FRANKS to the Prime Minister: In relation to her reported comment on the proposed criminal defamation provision, "It's not anything that's been driven by me or any particular person, it's been a general concern", what specific groups or individuals had raised it with her as a concern, and when?

8. DAMIEN O'CONNOR to the Minister for Biosecurity: Where in New Zealand are suspected exotic disease samples tested, and how secure are the facilities doing that testing?

9. Hon PETER DUNNE to the Associate Minister of Justice: Does she agree with the chairman of the freedom committee of the Commonwealth Press Union that the proposed new anti-defamation law "not only constrains media freedom, it constrains freedom of speech and that affects everyone"; if not, what were the reasons she gave to the Cabinet and the Caucus for proposing the amendment?

10. Hon MAX BRADFORD to the Minister of Defence: Will he express confidence in Major General Maurice Dodson; if not, why not?

11. MARTIN GALLAGHER to the Minister for the Environment: How has the Government contributed to the construction of the flood protection scheme for Alexandra?

12. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON to the Associate Minister of Health: Does she consider that her activities as Associate Minister of Corrections have distracted her from acting effectively in her delegated responsibilities in the Health portfolio; if not, why not?

Questions to Members

1. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Chairperson of the Education and Science Committee: What progress has the committee made in its inquiry into school decile funding?

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>>