Questions for Oral Answer
As At Thursday, 14 October 2004

Questions to Ministers

1. HELEN DUNCAN to the Minister of Education: What progress has been made implementing the recommendations of the School Staffing Review Group?

2. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister of Local Government: Why did he tell the House yesterday that he had no responsibility for the "shambles" with the local body elections when earlier this year he told a Local Government conference that work towards planning for the introduction of STV was a "successful partnership" between central and local government, and when in October 2002 he said that a joint central and local government team had been "actively involved in the implementation of the STV option"?

3. Hon PETER DUNNE to the Minister of Health: Does she stand by her statement last month that, "I believe that through innovation and the commitment of those who work in the health system, it's becoming better all the time."; if so, why?

4. DAIL JONES to the Minister of Immigration: Is there to be any limit imposed by the Government on the increasing amount spent on the trial and incarceration of suspected terrorist Ahmed Zaoui?

5. LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: What involvement has New Zealand had in the steps being taken to reform the United Nations?

6. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: Is it the Government's intention to have residents and ratepayers of the Rotorua district meet the cost of managing those lakes even though, under the proposed Te Arawa settlement, Te Arawa will be the owners of those lakes?

7. KEITH LOCKE to the Attorney-General: Did the Government take into account the fact that Ahmed Zaoui has been in jail without charge for over 22 months when it decided to seek a review of the Court of Appeal decision that Mr Zaoui's human rights must be considered in the pending review of his security status; if not, why not?

8. Dr MURIEL NEWMAN to the Minister of Housing: How many Housing New Zealand staff, following their two-day training, completed their 30 days of affirmations and meditation aimed at "deepening your understanding and application of Maori core values as explored in the Tiriti/Treaty Two-World View Framework." and what is the total cost to date of these training courses including staff time?

9. KATHERINE RICH to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises: Has the Minister of Local Government expressed any concerns to him regarding the involvement of State-Owned Enterprise New Zealand Post's subsidiary Datamail in the local body election "shambles"; if so, what were those concerns?

10. RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER to the Minister of Customs: What has the Government done to facilitate New Zealand trade across the United States border?

11. KATHERINE RICH to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector: What progress have Crown solicitors, enlisted by the Department of Internal Affairs, made in the decision to proceed with prosecutions of 32 groups that allegedly invented fake projects and defrauded the taxpayer community grants scheme of $150,000?

12. PETER BROWN to the Minister of Finance: Has he received any reports regarding the public perception surrounding his planned fuel tax increase for April 2005; if so, what do the reports indicate?

Questions to Members

1. Hon KEN SHIRLEY to the Chairperson of the Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Committee: Did the Prime Minister or any member of the Executive ever suggest to him that Nanaia Mahuta be given an opportunity to present her submission to the committee, after her submission was "received outside the parameters set by the committee"?

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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>>