Questions for Oral Answer
As At Thursday, 4 November 2004

Questions to Ministers

1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does she have confidence in her Minister of Immigration; if so, why?

2. STEVE CHADWICK to the Minister of Health: How will the recently announced Cancer Control Council help to address the burden of cancer in New Zealand?

3. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister of Local Government: Does he agree with the statement provided in the Vote Local Government estimates examination responses for 2003/2004 that, "The critical current issue faced by Government in Vote Local Government relates to the successful application of the STV (Single Transferable Vote) election method in the Local Authority Elections to occur in October 2004."; if so, does he think the Government has done a good job of dealing with this critical issue?

4. SUE KEDGLEY to the Minister for the Environment: Will the Government assist Aucklanders who are worried their backyards may be contaminated by pesticides to have their properties tested?

5. RODNEY HIDE to the Prime Minister: Is she satisfied that John Tamihere disclosed all his financial dealings with the Waipareira Trust that might cause her or the Labour Government embarrassment; if so, why?

6. Hon PETER DUNNE to the Minister of Finance: Does his answer to question No 3 yesterday indicate that he considers the tax regime that applies to families is fair?

7. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Prime Minister: Was she advised of reports that John Tamihere told colleagues he had accepted a golden handshake from the Waipareira Trust; if so, did she inquire whether any of those colleagues were members of her executive?

8. MARTIN GALLAGHER to the Minister of Justice: Is he satisfied that Youth Offending Teams are achieving the purpose for which they were established?

9. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Education: Can he confirm that the reason the New Zealand Teachers Council cannot release a report about the quality of teacher training in New Zealand is because he has not released it; if so, when will he release it?

10. DIANNE YATES to the Minister of Broadcasting: What recent reports has he received about the success of the Government's broadcasting policies?

11. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment: What has a married couple receiving New Zealand Superannuation been receiving as a percentage of the net average ordinary time weekly wage on a quarterly basis since and including September 2003, and is this consistent with the Government's policy?

12. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Deputy Prime Minister: Does the Government intend to support the removal of ancestral connection provisions from the Foreshore and Seabed Bill; if not, why not?

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>>