Questions for Oral Answer

Thursday, 26 August 2004 Questions to Ministers

1. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS to the Minister of Transport: When he said yesterday, in relation to reducing roading congestion, that "we can't simply motorway our way out of trouble", what did he mean?

2. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does she have confidence in the Minister of Immigration's handling of the refugee issue?

3. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Education: Does he agree with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority's statement that with regard to NCEA assessment practices at Cambridge High School, "There is no evidence that the issues identified at the school by NZQA are happening at other schools."; if not, why not?

4. Hon MARK GOSCHE to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: What are the risks to New Zealand's international reputation of any criticisms of New Zealand in Australia?

5. DONNA AWATERE HUATA to the Minister of Education: Was it his intention that any school would achieve a 100 percent pass rate in NCEA; if not, why did the New Zealand Qualifications Authority not investigate this at Cambridge High School until credit-cramming practices were reported in the media?

6. LYNNE PILLAY to the Minister of Police: Does he consider the current resources and staffing levels of both sworn and non-sworn police to be adequate; if so, why?

7. JUDITH COLLINS to the Minister of Health: When she stated to the House on 24 August 2004, in relation to interim funded primary health organisations, that "After all, the Government has not put any additional money in for them," what did she mean?

8. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Finance: Does he have any concerns regarding foreign ownership of New Zealand's electricity distribution and provision?

9. MARC ALEXANDER to the Minister of Justice: Does he agree that imprisonment, and further disciplinary action that occurs within prison, is a justified limitation on human rights?

10. JOHN KEY to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his answer to written question No 8943(2004) which indicates that by 2007, 50 percent of people receiving the accommodation supplement as a result of the Government's "Working for Families" package will be single with no dependent children; if not, why not?

11. Dr MURIEL NEWMAN to the Minister of Police: What has been the average time taken to attend burglary complaints in Counties-Manukau in the six months to June 2004, and what was the longest time taken?

12. MOANA MACKEY to the Minister of Tourism: What announcements has he made this week concerning the implementation of the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2010?

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>>