Thursday, 7 October 2004 Questions to Ministers

1. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: Why has the Government agreed to transfer title to 14 Rotorua lakebeds to Te Arawa, when Te Arawa originally transferred the ownership of those lakes to the Crown in return for an annuity, and their grievance related to the size of the annuity rather than an issue of title?

2. JILL PETTIS to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What other initiatives would be under threat if targeted funding for professional development and curriculum support was abolished?

3. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Finance: What policies will be implemented, if any, to enable the Government to better determine the quality of overseas investment in New Zealand?

4. LARRY BALDOCK to the Minister of Transport: What efforts has he made to ensure that the public understands tolling and its place in the land transport regime, and has he received any recent reports that suggest that those efforts have been less than successful?

5. RODNEY HIDE to the Minister of Housing: Does Housing New Zealand Corporation have a "two-world view" of the Treaty of Waitangi; if so, what two views of the world does Housing New Zealand Corporation have?

6. LYNNE PILLAY to the Minister of Education: What reports has he received on proposed changes to the provision of teacher professional development and support?

7. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Police: What responsibility does he take for the supervision and safety of remand inmates in police cells?

8. DAVID PARKER to the Convenor, Ministerial Group on Climate Change: What reports has he received on the Kyoto Protocol?

9. JOHN KEY to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his recent statement regarding the official cash rate, "The bank has indicated the near certainty of one more move, and then one or two more after that, if one reads their published statements,"; if so, why?

10. PETER BROWN to the Minister of Finance: Has he received any advice on the long-term effect of increased fuel prices on the economic well-being of this country; if so, what was that advice?

11. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Associate Minister for the Environment: Was a list titled "Possible candidates for non local decision-making under the RMA" attached to a draft Cabinet paper in June; if so, why did he reportedly deny the existence of this list when it was requested under the Official Information Act 1982 in August this year?

12. SUE KEDGLEY to the Associate Minister of Health: Does he have confidence in the advice provided by health officials about the health effects of dioxin; if so, why?

Questions to Members

1. MURRAY SMITH to the Chairperson of the Justice and Electoral Committee: Were any submitters to the Civil Union Bill who asked to give an oral submission incorrectly coded as having not requested to appear before the committee; if so, how many?

2. RODNEY HIDE to the Chairperson of the Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Committee: Did he consult with the committee's independent specialist adviser outside of the committee meeting over which submitters would appear; if not, was the decision on whether Nanaia Mahuta would appear left to the specialist adviser?

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>>