Questions for Oral Answer

As At Tuesday, 3 august 2004 Questions to Ministers

1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does he still stand by his statement "Not a single case has been produced to substantiate this claim. Work and Income has no policy of moving the unemployed on to sickness benefits."?

2. Hon PETER DUNNE to the Associate Minister of Education: Does she stand by the Minister of Education's comment in 2000 that he has "no doubt schools play a very important role in setting the values of young people, and it is important that they do that in an informed way, not by default."; if so, what concrete steps has she taken to ensure that all schools have implemented some form of character education programme?

3. Dr DON BRASH to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement regarding Maori Language Commission Chief Executive Haami Piripi's submission on the Foreshore and Seabed Bill that, "It just isn't on,"; if so, what discussions has she or her Ministers had with the board of the Maori Language Commission about the actions which should be taken as a consequence?

4. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: Is he satisfied with the environmental performance of Solid Energy?

5. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Coordinating Minister, Race Relations: Does he stand by his statement "I regard myself as an indigenous New Zealander - I come from Wainuiomata."; if so, why?

6. LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN to the Minister of State Services: Why did the Government introduce the State Sector Retirement Savings Scheme, and what reports has he received on its uptake?

7. Dr MURIEL NEWMAN to the Minister of Immigration: What concerns, if any, has he had about how visas have been granted by immigration officials overseas, and what, if anything, has he done about it?

8. Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY to the Convenor, Ministerial Group on Climate Change: Has he received any reports on whether New Zealand should pull out of the Kyoto Protocol?

9. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Youth Affairs: How many young people have completed a Specialist Youth Service Corps programme, and what are the criteria, if any, for young people to become part of this programme?

10. PETER BROWN to the Minister of Internal Affairs: Does he have confidence in the Chief Censor, Bill Hastings; if so, why?

11. DAVID PARKER to the Minister for Trade Negotiations: What benefits for New Zealand have resulted because of our attendance at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Geneva, which ended Sunday our time?

12. IAN EWEN-STREET to the Minister of Fisheries: Is he satisfied with the quality of the advice given by Ministry of Fisheries' officials to the Primary Production Committee during the committee's consideration of the Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4); if so, why?

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>>