Questions for Oral Answer
As At Thursday, 13 May 2004

Questions to Ministers

1. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his answers to written questions 9586 (2003) and 13029 (2003), and his response to an Official Information Act request to the Office of the Leader of the Opposition dated 8 December 2003, all asserting that neither he, nor any member of his staff, had any communications with any member of the New Zealand Police, regarding police actions against Shane Ardern MP; if not, why not?

2. LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What initiatives is the Government putting in place so that by 2007 all 15-19 year olds will be engaged in education, training, work or other options leading to independence?

3. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does she agree that if a known terrorist came to New Zealand fearing torture in his home country he would have to stay unless another country would take him, and what reports has she obtained from her Ministers and their officials as to what in terms of costs to the taxpayer this could mean?

4. LYNNE PILLAY to the Associate Minister of Labour: What progress is being made towards the Government's commitment to develop a programme promoting pay and employment equity in the public sector?

5. SUE KEDGLEY to the Minister for Biosecurity: Since spraying began in January 2002, what is the total quantity of the formulated product Foray 48B that has been aerially sprayed over residential areas of Auckland in an effort to eradicate the Painted Apple Moth?

6. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister for Crown Research Institutes: What is the current backlog of clandestine methamphetamine laboratory samples at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited and when is it expected this backlog will be cleared?

7. DARREN HUGHES to the Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: What is the Government doing to promote New Zealand music?

8. Hon MURRAY McCULLY to the Minister of Police: Can he absolutely assure the House that in relation to Police decisions regarding the prosecution of Shane Ardern MP, Mr Ardern was treated in the same way as any other New Zealander would have been treated; if not, why not?

9. GORDON COPELAND to the Minister of Finance: Is the Government committed to long term support for Air New Zealand Limited; if so, why?

10. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Transport: Does he agree that an inquiry should be held into the sale of Paraparaumu Airport in 1995 as recommended by the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee in its report on the petition of Ross Sutherland and 584 others; if not, why not?

11. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON to the Minister of Health: Does she agree that on past experience, a significant number of New Zealanders would have a heart attack, suffer a stroke or die as a result of being forced to change cholesterol lowering statins, as stated by leading New Zealand cardiologists; if not, why not?

12. DEBORAH CODDINGTON to the Minister of Health: Why didn't she order an immediate independent inquiry into the alleged abuse of children at the Glenelg Children's Health Camp in the 1980s following the briefing on 28 October 2003 that her officials provided for her as a result of my written questions?

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>>