QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

Tuesday, 11 December 2001

Questions to Ministers

1. RODNEY HIDE to the Minister for Economic Development: What contracts have BERL Developments Ltd and Innovation and Systems Ltd received through the Regional Partnerships Programme and what is their total value?

2. LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What reports has he received on programmes targeted at individuals in the labour market with low or no qualifications?

3. Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU to the Minister of Fisheries: What reports has he received on the impact that the Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium) Amendment Bill will have on Maori economic development?

4. NANDOR TANCZOS to the Minister of Justice: Why does the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Bill not apply to custodial sentences, when he has previously indicated that clean slate legislation could apply to custodial sentences of less than three months?

5. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Defence: With disbanding of the Skyhawk and Aermacchi air combat squadrons this week, what arrangements have been concluded to provide combat air training support for the New Zealand Army and the New Zealand Navy, following his assurance in May 2001 that the Government was "already progressing towards appropriate purchase arrangements"?

6. JANET MACKEY to the Minister of Justice: What are the proposed effects of the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Bill he has introduced to Parliament?

7. Hon DAVID CARTER to the Minister of Finance: Can he guarantee that he will remain within his $815 million new spending cap in next year's Budget; if not, why not?

8. MITA RIRINUI to the Minister of Maori Affairs: He aha nga take i piki ake ai te tokomaha o te hunga rangatahi e korero Maori ana?

Translation: What are the factors that have led to the increasing numbers of young people speaking Maori?

9. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Police: Following his statement to the House that the Police recruitment campaign has received "hundreds of calls ... from the Auckland area", how many new cops will actually be from the Auckland area?

10. DAMIEN O'CONNOR to the Minister of Tourism: What are the anticipated benefits to the New Zealand tourism industry of the upcoming release of The Lord of the Rings movies?

11. Hon KEN SHIRLEY to the Minister of Energy: What response does he have to the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research report on The Economic Effects of Greenhouse Gas Emission Policies which concludes that unless the protocol becomes a global regime it will adversely affect New Zealanders' livelihoods and living standards?

12. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister of Conservation: How many new marine reserves have been created since she became Minister of Conservation, and how does this compare with the 13 new reserves created by the previous Government?

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>>