Questions for Oral Answer
As At Tuesday, 4 May 2004

Questions to Ministers

1. Dr DON BRASH to the Prime Minister: Can she confirm her Government still enjoys the support of a majority of members on matters of confidence and supply; if so, why?

2. DAIL JONES to the Minister of Immigration: When is the formal review of the Immigration Act 1987 and the Deportation Review Tribunal to begin and will he be seeking cross-party input into the terms of the review?

3. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Prime Minister: Did she strip Tariana Turia of her ministerial portfolios as reported by some news sources, or did Tariana Turia resign her ministerial portfolios herself, as reported by other news sources?

4. MARTIN GALLAGHER to the Minister of Broadcasting: What is the Government's position on the public ownership of broadcasting assets?

5. KATHERINE RICH to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF): Why did she breach the privacy of more than 1,300 children in the care of Child, Youth and Family Services by releasing their names, their caregivers' names, their locations and their ages to the public?

6. LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Has he received any reports regarding changes to New Zealand's nuclear free status?

7. SIMON POWER to the Prime Minister: Does she have confidence in the Minister for ACC and the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment with responsibility for Child, Youth and Family Services; if so, why?

8. RON MARK to the Minister of Corrections: How many female prison officers, if any, in the term of this Government have been counselled or disciplined for having sexual relationships with male inmates?

9. Dr MURIEL NEWMAN to the Prime Minister: Will she accept mother of four Marilynn McLachlan's request for a meeting after Mrs McLachlan wrote to her appealing for help in finding a way to survive on an annual family income of $55,000; and does she believe there are many other New Zealand families facing the same difficulties?

10. LYNNE PILLAY to the Minister of Education: What would be the key elements of a voucher funding system for education?

11. ROD DONALD to the Prime Minister: Does her Government intend to introduce a universal student allowance, given her statement to the 1995 Labour Party Conference that "My aim is to return to a universal student allowance."?

12. JUDY TURNER to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does the Minister stand by his statement on National Radio yesterday that to have one parent work while the other parent stays at home to raise children "should be an ambition"; if so, does he think that this is no longer possible on a single income of $55,000 a year?

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>>