Questions for Oral Answer - As At Wednesday, 20 October 2004

Questions to Ministers

1. HELEN DUNCAN to the Minister of Education: What steps is the Government taking to recruit secondary teachers in subject shortage areas?

2. Dr DON BRASH to the Prime Minister: What did the Acting Prime Minister mean by reported comments that Mr Tamihere's ministerial future would be a "political decision", and does that mean the Prime Minister may make a decision prior to receiving a report from Douglas White QC?

3. Hon MATT ROBSON to the Minister for Industry and Regional Development: What recent announcements has he made which indicate further Government assistance to aid regional economic development?

4. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Maori Affairs: What did he have in mind when he stated that "There's always those possibilities" in response to an interviewer's question asking whether it was possible that Hon John Tamihere had done some things "that are not so honest"?

5. BERNIE OGILVY to the Minister of Education: How does he explain the 37 percent increase in the number of students who have been granted exemptions to leave school before they reach the statutory leaving age, from 2,802 in 1999 to 3,842 last year?

6. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Communications: What explanation can he give for the Commerce Commission reporting that cellphone users in New Zealand are paying twice what is charged in Australia?

7. MARK PECK to the Minister for Crown Research Institutes: What progress has been made in reducing the backlog in the scientific investigation of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories?

8. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Police: Do the police despatch taxis in response to 111 calls; if so, in what circumstances?

9. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS to the Minister for the Environment: Is she satisfied that in appointing the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Board she has achieved a balance of knowledge, skills and experience across all matters required in section 8(2) of the Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Act 2004?

10. RODNEY HIDE to the Prime Minister: When did she first learn that the Hon John Tamihere had received a "golden handshake" from the Waipareira Trust, and when would she have expected him to have informed her of the $195,000 payment?

11. DARREN HUGHES to the Associate Minister of Health: What steps is he taking to support the health of rural New Zealanders?

12. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister of Local Government: Why did he say on National Radio this morning with respect to the local body election shambles that, "I'm huffing and puffing because that's all I can do really"?

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>>