Select Committee Business

From 29 October to 5 November 2004

Committee meetings Seventeen committee meetings were held this week, all in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented (available at http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/CommitteeReport)

Commerce 2003/04 financial reviews of New Zealand Tourism Board (Tourism New Zealand) and New Zealand Post Limited Inquiry into the New Zealand electricity industry

Education and Science 2003/04 financial reviews of Institute of Environmental Science & Research Limited, New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research Limited, New Zealand Forest Research Limited, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited, Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Limited, Industrial Research Limited, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited

Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Foreshore and Seabed Bill (129-1) and the 2002/66 petition of Daureen Shirley Way, 2002/73 petition of Bruce James Mason and 7820 others, 2002/87 petition of Sharon Lynn Dearlove and 16 others, 2002/98 petition of Alice Kapea, 2002/116 petition of Nick Smith and 17, 654 others

Transport and Industrial Relations 2003/04 financial review of Airways Corporation of New Zealand Limited

Bills referred to select committees The Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill was referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee with a report due 16 December 2004. The Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill was referred to the Maori Affairs Committee with a report due 1 March 2005.

Committee notes (for further information on an item, please contact the committee staff noted in italics) Commerce (Michelle Malyon, SC-Commerce@parliament.govt.nz) The Committee met on 4 November to consider and hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial Review of the Government Superannuation Fund Authority. The committee presented its report on its inquiry in to the New Zealand Electricity Industry. A copy of this can be found on our website.

The committee will not meet next week.

Education and Science (Kirstin Lambert, SC-ES@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 3 November to hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial review of the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology, and consider other items of business before it. The committee reported on a number of financial reviews :

This report can be viewed at: http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Content/SelectCommitteeReports/ES%20FR%20-%207%20Crown%20entities.pdf

The committee is calling for submissions on the Education (Establishment of Universities) Amendment Bill, copies of which can be purchased from Bennetts Government Bookshops. Closing date for submissions is 19 November 2004. Submissions will be heard in Auckland on Thursday 25 November. The meeting will be held in the Gilbert Room, Kingsgate Hotel Parnell, 92-102 Gladstone Road, Parnell, Auckland.

The committee next meets on 10 November to consider the Education (Establishment of Universities) Amendment Bill and other items of business.

Finance and Expenditure (Lesley Ferguson, SC-FE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to hear evidence on the financial reviews of the Inland Revenue Department and the Department of Labour. In addition, the committee further considered the costing of party tax policies. The House has referred the Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill to the committee, and is required to report to the House on this bill by 16 December 2004. The bill increases excise duty on petrol by 5 cents, and indexes that increase to annual inflation changes. A closing date for submissions will be set shortly. Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation (Miles Reay SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz),

The committee met on 3 November to complete its consideration of the Foreshore and Seabed Bill. The committee’s report on the bill was released on 4 November and is available on the website.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (David Sanders, SC-FD@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee began its financial reviews by hearing evidence from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the New Zealand Customs Service. The committee will continue the 2003/04 financial reviews on 18 November when it hears evidence from the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence.

Government Administration (Lesley Ferguson, SC-GA@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 4 November to hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial performance and current operations of the Department of Internal Affairs. The committee also began its consideration of the Historic Places Amendment Bill, the Public Records Bill, and continued its consideration of the Identity (Citizenship and Travel Documents) Bill. Next week the committee will meet to consider the Identity Bill.

Health (Catherine Parkin, SC-Health@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee heard evidence from the Ministry of Health on its financial review for 2003/04. Next week the committee will consider a number of items of business, including several petitions and the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Amendment Bill (No 3). The meeting will not be open to the public.

Justice and Electoral (Angela Van Dam, SC-JE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 3 November to consider the Inquiry into the 2004 Local Authority Elections, the Civil Union Bill, and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. It also heard evidence on the 2003/04 financial review of the Parliamentary Counsel Office. The committee will meet next on 9 November to consider the Civil Union Bill, and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. It will then meet on 10 November to hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial review of the Ministry of Justice, and to consider the Inquiry into the 2004 Local Authority Elections. The meeting will be open to the public from 9.30 am to 11.00 am for the hearing of evidence on the financial review of the Ministry of Justice.

Law and Order (Tracey Rayner, SC-LO@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met this week to consider and hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial review of the Serious Fraud Office. The Criminal Procedure Bill was also further considered. The committee will next meet on 10 November to consider and hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial review of the New Zealand Police. Police Commissioner, Robert Robinson, will give evidence at the hearing, which will be open to the public from 9.15 am to 11.00 am. Local Government and Environment (Beth Watson, SC-LGE@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 4 November to hear evidence on the 2003/04 financial reviews from the Department of Conservation and from the Ministry for the Environment. Prior to the financial review hearings, the committee met a delegation from the Italian Parliament and discussed the legislative framework for the devolution of responsibilities from central to local government, the practical functioning of the system, and the integration between local and central government. To honour of the return of the Unknown Warrior, the committee will not be meeting next week. The next meeting of the committee will be on 18 November.

Maori Affairs (Miles Reay, SC-MA@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 4 November to consider the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill, and the Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill. Primary Production (Bob Bunch, SC-PP@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met three times this week to give further consideration to the issues arising from the hearings on the Aquaculture Reform Bill. On 4 November it also considered the 2003/04 financial reviews of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Fisheries, and Land Information New Zealand. Next week the committee will be meeting twice on the Aquaculture Reform Bill, on 9 and 10 November, commencing at 7.30 pm each evening, to give further consideration on the bill. No meeting is planned for 11 November, because of the Parliamentary ceremonies for the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

Regulations Review (Michael Wilkinson, SC-RR@parliament.govt.nz) This week the committee considered the regulation-making powers in the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill (No 3). It also further considered complaints on civil court fees, the Land Transport: Vehicle Equipment Rule, and the Kiwifruit Export Regulations. Next week the committee will continue with its scrutiny of new Government regulations.

Social Services (Graham Hill, SC-SS@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met on 4 November the committee to hear evidence and consider further the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill, the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Bill (No 4), and the Charities Bill. At the next meeting on 10 November the committee will consider further these bills.

Transport and Industrial Relations (Kath Henderson, SC-TI@parliament.govt.nz) The committee met to consider the Land Transport Amendment Bill from 9.30 am to 10.00 am before going on a site visit to the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand at Avalon in the Hutt Valley. The committee will not meet next week. A meeting is scheduled for the morning of 18 November to hear evidence on the financial reviews of the Land Transport Safety Authority, Transfund New Zealand, and Transit New Zealand. This meeting will be open to the public during the hearings of evidence. In the afternoon of 18 November the committee plans to further consider the Land Transport Amendment Bill.

Closing dates for submissions Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown:

Commerce New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Amendment Bill (6 December 2004) Education and Science Education (Establishment of Universities) Amendment Bill (19 November 2004) Finance and Expenditure Customs and Excise (Motor Spirits) Amendment Bill (closing date not yet determined)

Government Administration Historic Places Amendment Bill (29 October 2004) Public Records Bill (5 November 2004) Animal Welfare (Restriction on Docking of Dogs’ Tails) Bill (28 February 2005)

Maori Affairs Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill (closing date yet to be determined) Regulations Review Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3) (12 November 2004) Social Services Social Security (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill (31 January 2005)

General You can find further information about select committees on our website at www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz. If you require additional information or have any feedback on the contents, please contact: Louise Sparrer
Senior Parliamentary Officer
ph: 471 9569, fax: 499 0486, or at louise.sparrer@parliament.govt.nz Compiled in the Select Committee Office, Office of the Clerk, 5 November 2004

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

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