Select Committee Business From 11 June to 18 June 2004

Committee meetings Seventeen committee meetings were held this week, sixteen in the parliamentary complex and one in Auckland.

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

Commerce 2004/05 Estimates Vote Communications

Finance and Expenditure Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Monetary Policy Statement, June 2004

Health Petition 2002/63 of Dr Judy Goulden and 649 others International treaty examination of the Agreement between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Australia for the establishment of a Joint Scheme for the Regulation of Therapeutic Products

Intelligence and Security (Established pursuant to the Intelligence and Security Committee Act 1996) 2003/04 Supplementary Estimates Vote Communications Security and Intelligence 2004/05 Estimates for Vote Communications Security and Intelligence and Vote Security Intelligence

Justice and Electoral Parole (Extended Supervision) and Sentencing Amendment Bill (88-2) 2004/05 Estimates Vote Attorney-General 2004/05 Estimates Vote Parliamentary Counsel

Local Government and Environment Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 3) (111-2)

Regulations Review Activities of the Regulations Review Committee during 2003 (I.16D)

Changes in committee membership Finance and Expenditure Committee Hon Richard Prebble replaced Rodney Hide (SO 187(2)).

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

Commerce (Michelle Malyon, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to hear evidence on the 2004/05 Estimates for Vote Consumer Affairs. The committee also received a briefing on an alleged breach of the Commerce Act in the auto-glazing industry. It also continued its consideration of the Electricity and Gas Industries Bill. The committee next meets on 24 June to consider and hear evidence on the 2004/05 Estimates for Vote Commerce and Vote Economic, Industry and Regional Development, the hearings will be open to the public. The committee will also continue its consideration of the Electricity and Gas Industries Bill.

Education and Science (Kirstin Lambert, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 16 June to hear evidence on the 2004/05 Estimates for Vote Education, Vote Education Review Office and Vote Research, Science and Technology, and further considered the Education (Export Education Levy) Amendment Bill. On 23 June the committee will meet at 10.00 am to further its consideration of the 2004/05 Estimates: Vote Education. Hon Margaret Wilson is expected to appear on behalf of Hon Steve Maharey, Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education), to speak on tertiary education matters. This hearing will be open to the public from 10.15 am to 11.00 am. The committee will also further consider the Education (Export Education Levy) Amendment Bill, and progress a number of petitions currently before it.

Finance and Expenditure (Peter Hurndell, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to hear evidence from the Minister of Finance and Revenue on the Fiscal Strategy Report, the Economic and Fiscal Update, and the 2004/05 Estimates of Appropriations for Votes Finance and Revenue. The committee also heard two submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates, Venture Capital and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, and reported to the House on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Monetary Policy Statement, June 2004. Next week the committee will be in Australia as part of the joint select committee exchange with the Australian Parliament.

Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation (Miles Reay SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz,) On 15 and 17 June the committee considered the Maori Fisheries Bill. The committee will continue consideration of this bill on 22 and 24 June. The Committee is inviting public submissions on the Foreshore and Seabed Bill. Copies can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops, and information can be obtained from www.beehive.govt.nz/foreshore/home.cfm

Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee met to further consider the Building Bill, Statutes Amendment Bill (No 4) and the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Amendment Bill. The committee also heard from the Minister of Statistics on the committee’s examination of the 2004/05 Estimates for Vote Statistics. Next week the committee travels to Canberra and Sydney to meet with interested persons, both parliamentary and non-parliamentary.

Health (Catherine Parkin, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee heard further evidence from Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand on its inquiry into the health effects of Agent Orange. The committee also considered a number of items of business. The committee presented its report on petition 2002/63 of Dr Judy Goulden and 649 others, which requests that the House urge the Government to stop the implementation of Primary Health Organisations. The committee’s report can be viewed at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Content/SelectCommitteeReports/hepet0263.pdf Next Wednesday the committee will receive a briefing from the Ministry of Health on a national organ donor register. This will be open to the public from 11.00 am to 11.45 am, in room G.003 Parliament House. The committee will also hear evidence from the Ministry of Health on petition 2002/95 of Robert Crawford and 6,371 others, which requests that the House take action to ensure the Queen Mary Hospital land, Hanmer Springs, remains under Crown ownership. This will be open to the public from 12 noon to 12.20 pm.

Justice and Electoral (Angela Van Dam, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 16 June to consider the Care of Children Bill and the Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill. The committee’s next meeting is on 23 June. At this meeting it will consider and hear evidence on the 2004/05 Estimates for Vote Justice. It will also consider the Care of Children Bill, and the Lawyers and Conveyancers Bill. The meeting will be open to the public for the hearing of evidence on the 2004/05 Estimates for Vote Justice from 9.45 am to 10.30 am.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 16 June to consider the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill, the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts, Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, and the 2004/05 Estimates: Vote Police. The committee will meet again next week to consider the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill and the 2004/05 Estimates: Vote Corrections. The meeting will be open to the public, between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm, during a hearing of evidence on Vote Corrections, which is to be attended by the Minister of Corrections and senior officials from the Department of Corrections, including the chief executive, Mr Mark Byers.

Local Government and Environment (Beth Watson, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 17 June to continue its inquiry into the alleged accidental release of genetically engineered sweet corn plants in 2000 and subsequent actions taken. On 24 June it will meet to consider and hear evidence on Vote Climate Change and Energy Efficiency in its examination of the 2004/05 Estimates. It will also continue to consider its inquiry.

Maori Affairs (Miles Reay, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz) On 17 June the committee heard evidence on 2004/05 Estimates Vote Maori Affairs.

Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 17 June to give further consideration to the Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 3). On 24 June it will consider the bill further and consider and hear evidence on Vote Fisheries in the examination of the 2004/05 Estimates.

Regulations Review (Michael Wilkinson, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee presented its report on its Activities for 2003. This report records the work completed by the committee during 2003 that has not been the subject of separate reports to the House. The committee also continued with its scrutiny of new Government regulations.

Social Services (Graham Hill, SC-SS@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 17 June 2004 to hear evidence on the 2004/05 Estimates on Votes Social Development, Housing and Community and Voluntary Sector. At the next meeting on 24 June the committee will continue to hear evidence on some of these votes and consider the Charities Bill and the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Kath Henderson, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 17 June to hear evidence in a public session on the 2004/05 Estimates for Votes Transport, ACC and Labour. Next week the committee will meet on 24 June to further consider the 2004/05 Estimates and the Railways Bill. The meeting will not be open to the public.

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

Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Foreshore and Seabed Bill (12 July 2004)

Social Services New Zealand Superannuation Amendment Bill (2 July 2004) Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill (28 June 2004) Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill (25 June 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
ph: 471 9569, fax: 499 0486, or at louise.sparrer@parliament.govt.nz

Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 18 June 2004

ENDS

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