Questions for Oral Answer
As At Tuesday, 16 November 2004 Questions to Ministers

1. GEORGINA BEYER to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent reports has he received on the state of the labour market?

2. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Has she still got confidence in the Minister of Health; if so, why?

3. Dr DON BRASH to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement of 7 April 2004 regarding the foreshore and seabed legislation that "the government has undertaken an exhaustive process of policy development."; if so, why?

4. LYNNE PILLAY to the Minister of Education: Has he received any proposals to scrap the Government's policy of 20 hours per week free early childhood education from mid-2007 for three and four year olds in community-based centres?

5. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Police: Has he listened to a recording of, or read the transcript of, Iraena Asher's conversations with the 111 police communications centre; if so, how many times did she ask for help?

6. RODNEY HIDE to the Prime Minister: What responsibility does she take for her travel arrangements and her police escorts in New Zealand?

7. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Police: What assurances has he received that the New Zealand Police are actively investigating all aspects of crime?

8. BERNIE OGILVY to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): Can he confirm that the Government intends to introduce a voluntary long-term savings scheme for tertiary education; if so, why?

9. BARBARA STEWART to the Minister of Health: Is it her policy to ensure that those contracted by the Ministry of Health to provide services are audited to guarantee health funding is used appropriately?

10. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Education: Does he agree with the comment of Linwood College Principal, Rob Burrough, who said "We rely on a significant amount of locally raised funds in order to balance the books.", and has he taken any action to prevent schools collecting compulsory school fees?

11. H V ROSS ROBERTSON to the Associate Minister of Education: What moves has the Government made to increase the number of students with special education needs receiving additional teacher and learning support?

12. METIRIA TUREI to the Deputy Prime Minister: Is the Government satisfied that the Foreshore and Seabed Bill will provide for public access to, and public ownership of, the foreshore?

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>>