Questions for Oral Answer
As At Tuesday, 6 April 2004

Questions to Ministers

1. CLAYTON COSGROVE to the Minister of Finance: Has he received any proposals for an increase in defence spending?

2. Dr DON BRASH to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement that the Future Directions Package will "significantly increase direct income support and incentives to move from welfare benefits into paid employment,"; if so, why?

3. TIM BARNETT to the Minister of Health: What evidence has she seen to show targeting health services and funding to people with high health needs is working?

4. KEITH LOCKE to the Minister of Customs: Does the Government have any plans to require all United States citizens visiting New Zealand to be photographed and fingerprinted; if not, why not?

5. Hon ROGER SOWRY to the Minister of Labour: Does he intend to review the new Holidays Act; if not, why not?

6. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Is New Zealand still a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees?

7. STEPHEN FRANKS to the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: What principles does the Government apply when deciding whether or not to accept the findings of a Waitangi Tribunal report?

8. GEORGINA BEYER to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment: What initiatives has the Government implemented to encourage young people into training and paid employment?

9. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Corrections: What was the total muster of people on community work for the week ending 7 March 2004, and how many physically reported for community work during that week?

10. JUDY TURNER to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF): Is she satisfied that the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services is capable of meeting its statutory obligations under its current structure; if so, why?

11. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Maori Affairs: What advice has he received regarding the daily percentage share of the total television audience achieved by the Maori Television Service, as measured by the Nielsen Media Research Television Ratings?

12. DAIL JONES to the Minister of Local Government: Does he have any plans to stop the sale of Westhaven Marina until Parliament has passed the Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill, which decides the new asset holding body to replace Infrastructure Auckland?

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>>