Select Committee Business - From 8 April to 16 April 2004

Committee meetings: No committee meetings were held this week.

Reports presented

(available at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport)

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Mercenary Activities (Prohibition) Bill (83-2)

Government Administration

Architects Bill (82-2)

Social Services

Petition 2002/91 of John Tonson for PANIC (NZ) and 47 others

Transport and Industrial Relations

2002/03 financial review of the Civil Aviation Authority

2002/03 financial review of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission

Committee notes

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

Finance and Expenditure (Peter Hurndell, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee next meets on 20 April in Room G.006, Parliament House to hear submissions on the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill. The meeting is expected to be open to the public from approximately 10.00 am until 5.00 pm.

Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation (Miles Reay SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz,)

The committee next meets on 22 April to hear submissions on the Maori Fisheries Bill in Christchurch at the Millenium Hotel, Cathedral Square, at 10.00 am. Part of the meeting will be open to the public.

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

The next meeting of the committee has yet to be scheduled.

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

On 15 April the committee presented its report on the Architects Bill. The committee’s main recommendation is that protection of the title ‘architect’, in the bill as introduced, be amended to ‘registered architect’ to clearly identify persons who fall under this legislation and enhance professional competency, consumer protection, and market competition.

The committee next meets on 29 April to further consider the Building Bill. Submissions are being called for on the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill, with a closing date of 30 April 2004.

Health (Catherine Parkin, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee next meets on 28 April, when it will hear further evidence on the agreement between the New Zealand and Australian Governments to establish a joint scheme for the regulation of therapeutic products.

Justice and Electoral (Angela Van Dam, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee’s next meeting will be on 21 April when it will consider and hear evidence on the Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill, and consider the 2002/03 financial review of the Legal Services Agency, the Judicial Matters Bill, and the Care of Children Bill. The meeting will be open to the public from 4.15 pm to 5.00 pm for the hearing of evidence on the Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee next meets on 21 April to consider the Police Complaints Authority (Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct) Amendment Bill. This will be open to the public from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm, in Room G.003, Parliament House.

Local Government and Environment (Peter Hurndell, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee’s next meeting is on 29 April when it expects to consider the Wellington City Council (Te Aro Reclamation Amendment) Bill, hear evidence on the 2002/03 financial reviews of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Environmental Risk Management Authority, and receive a briefing on the Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 3).

Maori Affairs (Miles Reay, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz)

The committee will not meet next week.

Closing dates for submissions

Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:

Finance and Expenditure

Taxation (Annual Rates, Venture Capital and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (21 May 2004)

Government Administration

Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill (30 April 2004)

Local Government and Environment

Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 3) (7 May 2004)

Primary Production

Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 3) (3 May 2004)

Social Services

Social Security (Long-term Residential Care) Amendment Bill (23 April 2004)

Charities Bill (3 June 2004)

Transport and Industrial Relations

Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Bill (3 May 2004)

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:

Louise Sparrer
Senior Parliamentary Officer

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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>>